Legacy
by midnightinjapan
Summary: What happened after Venice? Percy and Nico ask Aphrodite for that favor. Percico - Percy/Nico Rating may go up later.
1. The Favor

**This is the sequel to _What Happened in Venice?_**

* * *

The Temple of Venus in New Rome was elegant and richly decorated with marble statues of the goddess and luscious banners of pink silk draped from the walls. Percy felt a little jab of resentment as he saw the offerings and burning torches. There were platters piled with fruit –chocolate covered strawberries seemed to be a favorite- and so many vases of roses that he was sure even Persephone would be a little jealous. The Poseidon Temple wasn't even in the same league.

He tried not to let it get to him. After all, the Romans credited a child of Aphrodite as the founder of their empire so it made sense that they'd suck up to her.

"Are we sure this is going to work?" asked Nico as he looked around uncomfortably. "I mean it's Aphrodite who owes you the favor. Do you think Venus will pay up?"

"I can't really think of another way to contact her," he said, the situation making him feel like an obstinate teenager despite his twenty-one years.

"Well, go for it," Nico smirked at him.

"You know, we could try to get her attention another way," he said smirking back. "I mean, she is the goddess of love and-"

"Percy," Nico interrupted with an arched an eyebrow. "We're asking for a favor. Maybe we should try not offending her before doing it?"

"Had to try." Percy grinned at him and turned toward a giant burning brazier in front of the altar. He cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Umm Aphrodite and or Venus?"

Nico smothered a chuckle next to him, making him smile.

"Uh hello?" he tried again.

"Great goddess of love?" piped Nico.

"Maybe we should have tried an Iris Message…"

"We could try Cupid's Temple," said Nico. Percy turned on him in disbelief.

"Wow, things are bad if you're suggesting Cupid."

"I just really want this to work," he replied, staring intently at one of the statues..

"We'll find another way even if this doesn't work," Percy promised and kissed his cheek.

"You two are just the cutest!"

Standing behind them and munching on a chocolate covered strawberry, was the great goddess of love. She was wearing designer jeans and a flimsy white baby-doll top and still managed to look elegant and lovely. Her hair was blond and done up in curls with few strategically escaping tendrils.

"Lady Aphrodite," said Nico respectfully.

"Hey," said Percy, his tone more casual.

"You're so cute that I might even forgive you for not inviting me to the wedding," she said pointing an accusing strawberry at them.

"Oh, uh, it was just a small wedding," Nico said hastily.

"Yeah it was just family and a few close friends," agreed Percy. He wasn't as knowledgeable as Nico but he knew enough to understand what kind of trouble could come from gods going into a snit over not being invited to a wedding.

"Technically I am your aunt, but no matter. Can I ask why you've called me?" she asked with a gleeful expression that struck Percy as wrong.

"Well," Nico began, looking from him to her.

"That favor you promised me four years ago?" Percy asked stepping forward.

"I seem to recall," Aphrodite said choosing another strawberry. She was smiling to herself like she knew a secret no one else did. Percy suddenly felt like an idiot.

"I'd like ask for it."

"I hope you've thought of something good," she said happily but there wasn't as ounce curiosity in her voice.

"Well, we were hoping for a pink corvette."

"What?" both she and Nico said at the same time.

"Yeah a pink corvette, like Barbie," Percy said evenly.

"Percy!" Nico stepped forward but his husband gave him a placating look.

"I…are you sure?" Aphrodite asked, looking slightly panicked. "A goddess owing you a favor is no small thing. You could ask for anything, literally _anything_!"

"Well we couldn't think of anything else. We have a house, we're happy, our friends are happy and safe, it seems like we have it all," he said shrugging.

"But you don't!" Aphrodite said in incredulity. "I mean, don't you want to share all that happiness with someone?"

"I share it with Nico," Percy said simply.

"No, I mean-"

"You mean a baby," he said with a hint of anger. "You knew what we were going to ask for today. I bet you knew four years ago!"

"I didn't know, but I hoped," she said gently.

"Why?"

"Babies are one of the best parts of finding your true love, they are the product of it, the symbol of it. Children of true love do great things."

"And what great things are you hoping for exactly?" asked Percy.

"Just…great things!" she replied helplessly.

"A baby shouldn't be born with those kinds of expectations, trust me, I know," Percy said stonily.

"So you don't want a baby?" she asked impatiently.

Percy could feel the beginnings of a bad mood rippling off of Nico. He knew they both wanted this but he couldn't bring a baby into this world knowing a god already had schemes in place for it.

"I want the baby free of any plans involving you," he said firmly.

"You do realize that includes any plans of love?" she asked in a superior tone.

"Wait. It'll never fall in love?" asked Nico with a creeping edge of horror in his voice.

The temple was silent as they stared at Aphrodite. Percy knew the chance he was giving up but he wasn't going to budge on this. They could still adopt or something. Aphrodite sighed and put down the plate of strawberries.

"What if I promised to only plan its love life?" she asked. "I won't do anything that doesn't directly affect that part of its future."

"Why?" asked Nico.

"Honestly? You two are…well let's just say I don't have many things that turn out this well. I want to see who this child will be. Whether you want it or not your love will shape this child and I'm terribly curious."

Percy gave her a skeptical look.

"I swear it on the Styx," said the goddess seriously. "Whatever fate –besides love—that befalls this child will have nothing to do with me."

Percy and Nico stared at each other for a moment and then turned back to the goddess.

"How do we do this?" asked Percy. Aphrodite clapped her hands together and grinned. "Well, I'll be needing some of your genetic material!"

"Umm…" said Percy and looked at Nico who turned several bright shades of red.

"Some blood will do since I'm in a hurry," she said rolling her eyes. Suddenly she was holding a tray with two syringes, rubber ties, and alcohol wipes.

"Gods, I hate needles…" muttered Percy as he stepped forward.


	2. Probatio

Nico paced back and forth in the living room while Percy tried to watch tv. He wasn't really paying attention to it because he could see Nico out of the corner of his eye. He glanced down and was shocked to see footprints in the carpet from Nico's trampling. Percy was surprised his husband was still wearing his black sweatpants and t-shirt. He figured Nico would dress up in a three-piece suit for this. He watched as the son of Hades turned around at the wall and slowly walked the same path to the other side of the room. Percy kept telling him to calm down but it was no good and more than once Percy noticed his own leg was bouncing. He sighed and hit the off button on the tv remote.

"Nico, please sit down," he asked. "You're making me nervous."

It was like Nico just woke up and noticed he was in the room. He nodded mutely and sat next to him on the couch and Percy could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off of him.

"She said today though, right?" Nico asked for the fifth time.

"Yes," Percy sighed and threw an arm around his husband's shoulders.

"I'm anxious too," he confided.

"Do we have everything?" Nico asked.

"Nico, you've checked everything at least four times, you've read a library full of books, and you have my mom on speed dial," Percy said smiling. "Everything will be fine."

"Do you think it'll take after us?" Nico asked tentatively.

"I don't know…this isn't a normal situation," Percy said scratching his head in puzzlement.

"Well, I hope it doesn't drool in its sleep like you do," Nico said smirking.

"Last time I checked that was the only thing babies did. And I don't drool that much!" Percy said mock offense.

Nico laughed and Percy shoved away from him to the other side of the couch but he was smiling. Nico followed him, still laughing.

"Nope," Percy said wiggling away from him. "I might drool on you."

"You have my permission this time."

"Oh! I have permission to drool on the Ghost King," Percy grinned and pulled him closer and kissed him.

Percy sank down and pulled Nico on top of him. For a few minutes all their worries were lost as Nico settled between his thighs and kissed him back. Percy slipped a hand under the hem of Nico's shirt and slid it up his back feeling the lean muscles under his skin but he felt Nico pulling away.

"Wait," he pleaded when the kiss broke.

"We can't," whispered Nico with a smile.

"Don't stop on our account."

Nico climbed off of Percy and they both stood staring at the goddess in their living room. Aphrodite was wearing a diaphanous pink gown that gave teasing glimpses of skin, her hair was in loose spirals and she seemed to glow with a soft radiant light. She looked triumphant and exceedingly pleased with herself. But it was the little bundle in her arms that held them in awe. They couldn't even see the baby, just the silver blanket cradled carefully in her arms.

"Well?" she asked, smiling at their stupefied expressions.

"Is…" Percy breathed.

"Yes," she said gently, "you two should come meet your son."

They looked at each other with strange mixture of happiness and fear and it was Nico who recovered faster and walked over to her. He looked down at the little bundle and Aphrodite handed it over to him with infinite care. Nico stared down at the baby in his arms and then looked at Percy in shock.

"Percy, look at him."

He came to stand in front of Nico and looked down at the tiny face peeking out of the blanket. The baby was sleeping peacefully as Percy and Nico stared at its little features. Percy reached out and gently touched the chubby little fist clenched under his chin.

"What will you name him?" Aphrodite asked breaking the silence.

"Umm," Nico started like he was coming out of a trance. "We talked about it a lot and Percy wants the baby to have an Italian name like me and of course I want the baby to have his last name like I do now…"

"If it was a girl we would have named her Bianca after Nico's sister," Percy explained still mesmerized by his son's tiny hand.

"But we have a son," Nico said, like he was realizing it for the first time. "And his name is Cesare Jackson."

"Cesare," repeated the goddess thoughtfully. "A handsome name. I approve."

They smiled at each other and went back to gazing at the baby.

"I should warn you," she said seriously. "This baby will be different."

"You swore-," started Percy.

"Not because of me," Aphrodite said interrupting him, "because of what he is."

"What do you mean?" asked Nico.

"Haven't you two noticed anything about the legacy children here in New Rome?" asked Aphrodite.

Percy and Nico looked at each in confusion and then just stared at her with perplexed expressions. The goddess sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"When two demi-gods have a child that baby can come out nearly mortal. Certain abilities cancel each other out in their genetics otherwise you'd all be spawning monsters. Eventually it's all nearly lost. Sometimes there will be an odd great-great-great-grandchild with unusual talent in something, but that's it," she said waving her hand dismissively. Then she fixed them with a serious look.

"But if the two parents are particularly powerful then the baby will most likely be like any normal demi-god. Your son is different. You are two of the most powerful demi-gods currently alive -and children of the Big Three besides- there's no question he'll be strong," she explained patiently. "And the way he was "born" will set him apart. He's the only child of his kind."

"So, what does this mean exactly?" asked Nico. He looked a little alarmed as he cradled their baby to his chest.

"That maybe you'll just have to keep a close eye on him," Aphrodite shrugged. "Like I said, this has never been done before. We're in uncharted territory."

"We can handle it," Percy confidently. "He won't have to grow up around mortals so he shouldn't feel too alone. And you said he'd be just like a normal demi-god strength-wise."

"Very well," she said smiling. "I'll peek in from time to time to check on his progress. Good luck, Dads." She winked and disappeared leaving them with nothing but a faint whiff of expensive perfume.

For a long time they just stood there staring down at the baby until Nico finally had to admit that his arm was going numb. They put baby Cesare in his new cradle and continued to stare. Percy's stomach was tight and his heart hammered every time the baby moved or made a tiny noise in his sleep.

"You should call your mom," Nico whispered eventually.

"Oh…yeah, I promised pictures too so I'll go get the camera," said Percy. He stumbled out of the room. Nico reached down and touched the soft curve of one pudgy cheek. He noticed a little moisture at the corner of his son's mouth and smiled.

"You drool just like your Dad."

* * *

The Praetors' office was becoming too familiar to him. The glittering mosaic of Romulus and Remus on the ceiling, the polished marble floor, banners of velvet on the walls and along the back wall were all the military symbols of Camp Jupiter including the Golden Eagle his Dad had helped recover. He always felt out of place in this room but he hated the Eagle most of all. He felt like it was judging him, seizing him up with those frigid little beady golden eyes…and it always found him wanting.

In the center of the room the two Praetors sat at a large wooden table that was littered with paper, scrolls, iPads, and weapons. Blaine had blue eyes and dirty blond hair and was a legacy of Jupiter. He looked as bored as Cesare. This was just another of his bi-weekly "visits". Sitting next to him in the other chair was Stacy. Brown haired and hilariously petite for a legacy of Mars. She was Blaine's fellow Praetor, girlfriend, and Cesare's main problem at the moment. As usual she looked like she was about throw something at him. At least he was in uniform this time so he just stood there and remained silent. Stacy could never hold it back for long.

"Cesare," she began as calmly as she could, "please tell me how you manage to cause such chaos all the time."

"Well, it's hardly-"

"You were supposed to be watching Hannibal! How do you lose an elephant?" she shrieked.

"I did find him," he said.

"Not fast enough! The fauns were feeding him peanuts and now he has indigestion and cannot participate in the war games tonight!"

Cesare sighed heavily but didn't respond. Boredom changed to sympathy and Blaine spoke up.

"Stacy, it was his fault Hannibal wandered off but the fauns also know better than to feed him peanuts so that's not really Cesare's fault." She crossed her arms and huffed but didn't disagree.

"Cesare, you are one of the most promising members of the Legion," he continued. "In the past you've shown bravery, leadership, and intelligence in combat. You also came to us with some of the most excellent credentials ever seen. Letters of reference from four former Praetors, three of them from the famous Seven heroes, one of them is your Dad-"

"Yes, he has impressive connections and a…rare lineage for a legacy," Stacy agreed grudgingly. He felt his SPQR tattoo like a brand. He was the only one with two godly symbols. "But none of that excuses the constant lack discipline, the shirking of responsibility-"

"But there is a lack of focus," Blaine interrupted gently.

"Lack of focus," Stacy repeated with a mocking edge, "I'm still surprised he made it past _probatio_ the first time!"

"Never the less, he did, and his talent is undeniable. Perhaps we just haven't found the proper job for him?"

"What else is there?" asked Stacy. "He falls asleep during guard duty, wrecked the fortifications in the field of Mars the last time he was on the construction team, used his powers to send the Lares into a panic," Cesare tried to keep a straight face over that one. "Failed to show up in uniform several times during evening musters, bribed all the fauns with cupcakes so they would flash mob sing _We Didn't Start the Fire_," he did smile over that but fixed his face before Stacy saw. "And now this!"

"It's clear he has a somewhat playful nature," Blaine tried. He was often the voice of reason during these sessions but it made Cesare feel conflicted. He and Stacy were always bumping heads and sometimes he felt like she was kind of out to get him but he still felt guilty whenever her boyfriend rushed to defend him against her.

Stacy clearly wasn't having it today.

"And there are rumors that he enjoys the protection of this very office!" She said angrily. That sent a sharp spike of apprehension through him and he was sure Blaine felt it too from the way he stiffened. The other Praetor leaned back in his chair, his face a stony mask.

"So, what do you think we should do?" he asked Stacy.

He expected her to look satisfied that her boyfriend had handed the decision over to her, or was at least ready to be serious about the issue. But Stacy looked a bit shocked and deflated.

"Cesare Jackson," she said turning back to him. "It's true that you possess untapped potential that could be an asset to the Legion, but your lack obedience is a liability to us. I recommend he be downgraded back to _probatio_," she said turning back to Blaine. "And that he not be allowed to participate in the war games tonight."

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. She could have had him sewn into a sack full of weasels again, but it was still a slap in the face. Blaine agreed and he felt himself shrink down to the size of an ant under the stare of that golden eagle. Stacy dismissed him after that and he trudged out of the _principia_. He left the fort and at the divide in the road, he considered turning left. It would take him to New Rome, to his Dads, but he just shook his head and went right. He couldn't face them right now. His Dads were pretty laid back, especially Percy, but no matter what they said he still felt like he was disappointing them.

On the way there a couple of fauns offered to sing for more cupcakes but he waved them away. His dark mood was starting to seep into his aura and that kept the rest of them back. The crooked stone path took him past the altars and vault-like sanctuaries of to the other gods. The Temple of Neptune was still only the size of a tool shed but it had a fresh coat of paint now and the trident on the front gleamed from being polished. He and his Dad had tried to restore it as best they could and he made regular offerings at both the Temples of Neptune and Pluto. He'd never met his grandfathers but he still felt connected to them.

Inside they mounted torches and decorated the walls with paintings of the sea and its various creatures. He tossed out a bowl of old grapes and sat down on the floor.

"Sorry Gramps, I'll bring another offering later. I just needed to get away," he said as he unstrapped his Imperial gold sword and laid it on the floor next to him.

"My Dads had already saved the world once by my age," he muttered. He blew a long lock of curly black hair out of his face and closed his eyes.

All he ever heard was how much he looked like his Dad's. He had Nico's hair and lean build, Percy's smile and tanned skin, and his dark green eyes were like a compromise between theirs. But compared to their long list of great deeds, he had nothing close. It wasn't their fault and he was proud they were his parents but he wanted to make them proud of _him_. And everyone else looked at him impatiently like, "Hey! Do something awesome already!" And gods, it was the worst when they asked how he looked so much like both of his Dads, and if he was adopted. You get weird looks when you tell people you were a magic baby made by Aphrodite using the blood of two guys. The bright side was that Venus was highly praised in Camp Jupiter so it was like being created by her outshined the bad luck of being a grandchild of both Neptune and Pluto. Plus, girls thought it was romantic and meant he was a great kisser, which he was.

He looked around and remembered the afternoon he spent with his father fixing this place up. Maybe he should have gone home. His Dads would make him feel better. Nico would brush his hair out of his face and call him "little hero" in Italian. Percy would laugh and tell him how many times he'd screwed up while saving the world. But then he would just ache to stay. Sleep in his room, in his bed, in their villa, and not have the expectation of living up to his fathers over him every day. It couldn't happen. He'd be disgraced for leaving the Legion and that would disappoint his Dads, no question. He would disappoint himself too. So no going home, at least not until his Dad's birthday. He got time off for special family visits.

The door opened behind him and Blaine stepped in.

"Hey," he said sitting down next to Cesare. He wore more armor and so he kind of flopped down and clanked. His purple cape fanned out behind him.

"Hey," replied Cesare.

"Could have been worse," Blaine said helplessly. "We could have executed you."

"I haven't broken any rules…technically," said Cesare.

"True, but your offenses are piling up. You might wanna, I don't know, stop offending?"

"Besides the thing with the Lares and the fauns, I'm not doing this on purpose."

"Stacy wants to muster out and go to college after her ten years are up," Blaine said quietly.

"Good for her," Cesare said, his tone flippant.

"When she's gone, we'll need a new Praetor." Suddenly the Temple felt too tight and cramped with the both of them in there. He could feel the weight of what Blaine wanted settling on his shoulders with the rest of his burdens.

"Blaine-"

"If you tried harder, really put your mind to it, you would fly up the ranks. I know the other legionnaires would vote for you. I would break up with Stacy and we could-"

"Stop," Cesare suddenly. His face felt hot and his stomach felt like it was full of bees.

He'd known Blaine since they were kids. They'd both ended up at the Wolf House together when they were six. They'd trained there together, survived together, and earned their place in Camp Jupiter. But when they'd tuned twelve and joined the Legion, Cesare realized he had a crush on his friend. He'd agonized over it and finally decided to talk to his Dads about it. They told him the risks of bringing it up but also encouraged him to do so if he felt bad keeping it a secret. Long story short, Blaine rejected him and it hurt. He'd gotten over it though and they stayed on okay terms, except now Blaine wanted to try and he wasn't so sure he wanted to anymore.

"Are you ever going to forgive me for what happened?" Blaine asked as if he could read his mind. "I was scared. I didn't understand how I could like girls and boys and I didn't grow up with two Dads like you so I didn't think it was acceptable. You could talk about things like that with your parents. It took me years to figure out that mine didn't care and I was fine."

"I already forgave you a long time ago," Cesare shrugged. "But you're with Stacy and you like her and we're just friends now."

"But I want you more," Blaine said, looking at him with bright blue eyes. "And I want you by my side as Praetor."

"I'm not sure it's what I want," he said honestly.

"At least think about it?" Blaine asked. "I'm asking for a second chance." He froze as Blaine reached out brushed his curls behind his right ear. "I love your eyes," Blaine whispered and leaned in to kiss him but Cesare pulled away.

"You have a girlfriend," he reminded him and stood up. "And we'd better hurry or we'll be late for evening muster."

* * *

**Note:** If you need to know how to pronounce his name, please go watch Showtime series The Borgias. Cesare Borgia was my inspiration.


	3. Ice Cream

He'd been coming to New York since he was a kid and the city always felt the same. The noises were still odd and the sights distracted him, making his ADHD go wild. He walked between his two Dads just like he used to when he was little, although he was too old to need to hold their hands anymore. Percy looked happy to be back in his home city and Nico looked content, as if it didn't matter where they were as long as they were together. It was Percy's birthday and they were going to see his grandparents.

"Hey," Nico whispered, drawing his attention with a small smile. "It's okay. Stop brooding about it before your Dad notices," he whispered smiling.

Percy was too busy watching a street performance they were walking by to notice the exchange beside him, but of course Nico had noticed his mood first. His negative emotions had the same effect as Nico's, they clouded his aura. And just like his Dad, he was a brooder and the more he moped, the more negative vibes he put off. Nico was right too. If Percy noticed, he would spend the whole day trying to make Cesare feel better and that wasn't fair since it was his Dad's birthday. He tried to stand up straighter and smile, but he was still wearing long sleeves to hide his tattoo. All four of his stripes had faded, leaving only the SPQR and the two symbols of Neptune and Pluto.

He'd told his parents the second he got home because he knew he wouldn't be able to hide the tattoo fast enough. They'd reacted predictably, telling him it was nothing to worry about but warning him not to do anything that might demand he be executed. It was a joke but it didn't make him feel better. The fact that they weren't mad only made him angrier at himself. He knew kids who were disowned for not making Centurion, or not being placed in the right Cohort. Luckily, his parents were accepting and understanding even though he did nothing to make them proud.

He sighed to himself. He really didn't want to think about this right now. He wasn't at camp standing at attention for once and he wanted to make the most of it. So he drank in the sounds and sights of the city. He kind of wished he'd grown up in all this excitement but when he said it out loud Percy launched into a full account of all the schools he'd been kicked out of and how it was usually due to a monster attack. He just smiled and rolled his eyes as he listened because he knew Nico would jump in soon to try and trump Percy with the tales of his childhood.

Sure enough, Nico began telling his story the second that Percy's attention wavered. He was orphaned and basically homeless wandering around the Underworld with no one for company but an evil ghost. His favorite story was how they fell in love in Venice because he was the climax of that one. They went to Venice, they fell in love, it was all mushy and romantic and then Nico got kidnapped by a crazy stalker ex-boyfriend. Percy swooped in to save him and they ended up doing Cupid and Aphrodite a favor.

"And then she blessed you guys with the best thing to ever happen to either one of you," Cesare said with a smile, recalling the end of the story.

"Humble, isn't he?" Percy asked Nico sarcastically.

"Where did we go wrong?" Nico responded with an exaggerated sigh.

When they got to his grandparents they were seized by his grandmother, Sally, for hugs. Paul dragged Nico away to ask a million questions about the camps and the Underworld. Sally fussed over all three of them and then placed a pile of blue chocolate chip cookies on the table next to Percy's birthday cake.

"You're growing up so fast," she said to Cesare, brushing his black curls away from his face. "And I bet you're getting in as much trouble as your father did?"

"I'm fine, grandma," he said, reaching for his third cookie.

"That's what your Dad used to say," she said suspiciously.

"Mom, he's fine. He's more trained than I was at his age," Percy said. He tried to swipe his finger to get some frosting from the cake but Sally popped his hand without even looking away from her grandson.

"And I bet you have one of those awful tattoos?"

He just nodded and tried not to feel embarrassed or make eye contact with his Dad.

"I could just strangle Hera!" Sally said furiously, the fine lines around her eyes momentarily emphasized by her angry expression.

"Mom," Percy started but it was too late.

"Kidnaps my son and erases his memories! She put you in so much danger and worried me sick! And I'm sure the Roman camp is very nice, but I don't think they should be marking children!"

"Mom, it's alright," Percy said reaching over and patting her hand.

His own tattoo was still very visible because of his short sleeved shirt. His father only had one line on his tattoo but he'd made Praetor in his short time at Camp Jupiter by going on a quest, defeating giants and monster, retrieving the Eagle, and defeating another giant.

"I know he'll be fine," said Sally, going back to arranging his curls away from his face.

After that he was allowed to go back to forgetting that he was a disgraced legionnaire when they went out to see _The Lion King_ on Broadway and then to dinner before going back to cut the cake.

"We should get ice cream," Percy said to Nico as they walked back to Sally and Paul's apartment.

Every street was bright with neon signs and lights. The shift to nighttime in New York didn't quiet the noise -if anything- it got louder against the silence of the rest of the world. Pedestrians still crowded the sidewalks and the smell of food from dozens of restaurants collided in the air. Percy and Nico were just one of the many couples holding hands. Cesare walked behind them, with Sally and Paul bringing up the rear.

"Aren't you ever done eating?" Nico asked as he laughed at his husband's usual antics.

"Hey, it's not as bad as Venice," said Percy.

Nico was about to respond but suddenly he and Percy were both frowning at a hot dog stand run by two little old ladies.

"Cesare, do you have your sword?" Percy asked. He and Nico were still staring at the hot dog stand. Sally and Paul stopped behind their grandson and looked at his parents.

"Percy?" Sally asked.

"Hey mom, can you and Paul go back to that store we passed and get some ice cream to go with the cake?"

"Okay, sweetie, but-"

"Come on, honey, they can handle whatever it is," Paul said pulling her back. Sally went reluctantly and threw glances at Cesare over her shoulder.

"Your sword?" Nico asked him again, drawing his attention back.

"No, I left it at-"

"Take mine," said Nico and walked over to the wall of the nearest building. He reached into a shadow and pulled his black sword out.

He tossed it to Cesare, who caught it without making a fool of himself. The little old women were staring back now. He still didn't see anything strange except…there was no wind but their hair was rustling.

"Did you think we'd forgotten you, son of the sea god?" asked one of the women.

"Oh no, we'd never forget you!" said the other happily. "And you look like you need a little something. Ketchup or mustard?" She reached into the cart and held out a hotdog.

"We are not feeding him, Stheno!" the first one snapped. "It's his fault we've been trapped in Tartarus this all these years!"

The mortals continued to walk by without so much as a look. Nico stepped back but not too far away and Percy came to stand beside Cesare. He'd drawn Riptide and now he looked fairly bored.

"Oh, yes that's right! But if he buys a hotdog it'll be our one hundredth today!" Stheno gestured toward Percy excitedly, hotdog still in hand.

"Who cares about that? He killed our sister and killed us in the Roman river!"

"Ladies, can we move this along?" asked Percy.

"Oh fine then," said Stheno sadly, letting the food drop.

As Cesare watched their hair turned to snakes, they sprouted boar tusks from their mouths, and their eyes glowed red. They moved from behind the stand and he saw their rooster feet.

"You ready?" his Dad asked.

"Yeah," he said, dropping into the sword stance his father's taught him.

He could fight in both Greek and Roman styles. He learned both from the legion and from his Dads whenever he came home. Since they didn't have an army and only two opponents, Greek style would probably work better. The Stygian Iron sword felt better in his hand than his Imperial gold _Gladius_ and he gripped it tight as the smiling gorgon came toward him.

"Aren't you a cute little thing?" she said and sniffed at him a little. "You're not pure blood demi-god, but you stink like the sea and…" she paused and sniffed again.

"The Underworld maybe?" he supplied helpfully.

"Yes! But there's something else," said Stheno with a puzzled tone.

"He's carrying the scent of love magic," said Euryale. "I can smell it from here."

"You'd better keep him close, Jackson," Euryale continued slyly. "That will attract all kinds of things."

"Thanks for the parenting tip," Percy said. Euryale reached for him but before anyone could blink he ducked under her outstretched arm and came up behind her. Without any hesitation he swung Riptide and decapitated her from behind. Her head didn't even hit the ground before it and her body dissolved into dust.

Both Cesare and Stheno were frozen, staring at him. Cesare recovered first and stabbed the second gorgon while she was distracted. He felt the sword in his hand suck in her essence before she burst into gold dust. The mortals didn't react at all thanks to the mist. Nico was leaning against the wall smirking at his husband but he walked over as Percy capped Riptide and kissed him.

"Umm hi?" Cesare said drawing their attention.

"Good job, _Eroe_," Nico said taking his sword back.

"Yeah, it was real hard to stab her while she wasn't even looking," he said rolling his eyes. "How did you guys even know they were monsters? They hadn't shed their disguise yet." His Dads looked at each other and shrugged.

"It's hard to explain," said Percy. "Basically, something about us being together has increased our abilities. At least that's what we can make of it."

"Okay…what?" Cesare asked confused.

"Yeah we don't really get it either, but Zeus wanted to kill us over it," Nico said.

"What is it the power of love or something?" he asked them. "And what was that about me smelling like love?"

"We're not monsters, son," said Percy. "We can't smell what they can but I'm sure it's just because you were kind made from love magic."

"Is everything alright?"

He turned around and his grandparents were back looking worried but Cesare saw they had a bag with ice cream in it.

"Yeah, we're fine," said Percy.

They went back to the apartment but the whole way there he couldn't stop thinking about what the gorgon said. He even sniffed himself once but all he smelled was fabric softener and deodorant. In front of him his parents looked like they'd blocked out the world. Nico smiled at Percy who was actually blushing. Part of him wanted to gag but another part of him thought it was cute that they could still impress each other and be embarrassed and flattered by it. He was impressed too actually. He'd never seen anyone take down…anything that fast. He comforted himself knowing it was because of whatever magical bond they had and not just because his Dads were superheroes.

That night they sang Happy Birthday to his Dad and ate blue cake and ice cream. Sally and Paul went to the kitchen to make coffee and he was about to escape to the couch and find the TV remote when they stopped him.

"I haven't been able to watch TV in weeks," he whined. It was true. There were no televisions permitted in the barracks.

"It can wait," said Nico. He looked at Percy with a devious smile and Cesare just looked back and forth between them.

"What?" he asked impatiently, thinking about all the Doctor Who he could be watching.

"We know you've been having a hard time at camp," Percy started.

"Dad, it's your birthday. We don't have to have this talk," he said sulkily.

"No, we do," he said looking at Nico. "We were thinking that maybe you need a break from it."

"We were thinking of taking a vacation," said Nico.

"Where?" Cesare asked. His stomach had tightened when he thought he was about to get a lecture of disappointment but now he was excited.

"Well, we always said we'd go back to Venice one day," answered Nico.

"Really?" he asked with a big grin.

"You think it's a good idea?" Percy asked with a smile.

"Yes! Oh wait," he said deflating. "It's forbidden for members of the Legion to travel across the _Mare Nostrum_."

"Oh, that stupid law again," Percy said annoyed.

"I'm sure we can clear it with the camp," Nico said. "I'll call Frank."

"Better call Reyna and Jason too. We might need weight on this one," said Percy. When he saw how let down Cesare was he reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry, if they kick you out for this you can always go stay at Camp Half-Blood. We can even move back here if you decide you don't want to stay year-round."

"If I decide not to go year-round, do I get to go to public school here in the city?" he asked.

"If any of them will take you once they find out Percy is your Dad," Nico laughed.

They laughed with him but inside Cesare was hoping the camp would just let him go on the trip. Public school might be fun but uprooting his parents wasn't.

* * *

**Note:** I've started working on something original so the next chapter might take a little while.


	4. Good-bye

"Going to the _Mare Nostrum_ may be the test he needs to earn his stripes back," Blaine said to Stacy.

Cesare stood at perfect attention with his uniform in place. He didn't speak out of turn or even make funny faces behind Stacy's back. The two Praetors sat at their table debating the issue back and forth. Stacy was –predictably—against it. She felt like it was just another example of Cesare breaking a rule -a law really—and one he could be banished for. His parents and godparents had spoken up, touting the importance of giving demi-gods a chance to prove themselves in the real world and sighting how little experience Cesare had outside the camp.

"It's forbidden," Stacy said, crossing her arms. Despite her small stature she could be an immovable object when she stood her ground.

"Then what is your plan?" asked Blaine. "You've removed his stripes and the only other way for him to gain them back is the war games. Even then he can only get one at a time. Maybe you like the idea of him having to earn them back slowly but we both know that Cesare excels at the war games. You can't bar him from them forever."

Stacy's face was stony as she looked at her boyfriend. Her arms were still crossed and her jaw clenched so hard it looked like she could crunch through solid granite.

"Yes, I know how much you admire his talents, but what plan do **you** have?" She didn't mean anything by it, Cesare knew, but hearing her admit that her boyfriend admired him, and knowing what he knew, made a blush rise up his cheeks.

"I'm saying to earn back his stripes and his honor he needs a task greater than a war game." Blaine leaned forward in his seat and looked at his girlfriend intensely.

"And this is it?" she asked incredulously. "How is breaking one of our most sacred laws to go on vacation, a great task?"

"If he can prove himself-"

"Prove himself how? Even if we allow it we have no way to monitor him. He could defeat an army of gorgons or he could lay in a hotel room all day ordering room service and we'd never know!"

"He could bring back proof, Stacy," Blaine said exasperated.

"No," said Stacy. She took a breath and looked at her boyfriend gravely. "Do you take this position seriously at all?"

"Of course I do," Blaine answered, sounding angry for the first time.

"Then stop this," Stacy implored gently, breaking away from the stern expression she normally wore. "Stop playing favorites with him. I understand you two have known each other for a long time. You went through Lupa's training together. I get that, I really do, but you are a Praetor and you have to treat him like any other soldier."

Cesare could see Blaine's determination dropping and his heart plummeted along with it.

"We can't sanction this based on the possibility of him overcoming some great obstacle he may or may not face."

And with that she hammered the final nail in and he knew from the look on Blaine's face that his cause was lost.

"Cesare Jackson," Blaine said in his formal, authoritative voice. "You do not have the blessing of the Legion to travel to the _Mare Nostrum_. Doing so would break our laws and result in your immediate banishment."

He ran down the road to New Rome. He was supposed to go back to his barracks and wait for his shift on guard duty but he just couldn't stand it for one more minute. It took everything in him not to rip the ground open and summon dark shades or send the Lares into another panic. For a second he contemplated flooding the lake and making the Little Tiber overflow its banks.

People in the market stared as he streaked by in his armor but he kept running because of the anger knotted in his stomach and he was sure that if he let it out he would do something seriously stupid. Instead he ran faster and fed his anger to his burning lungs and leg muscles. He was so upset he didn't stop think about the _Imperial_ gold sword strapped to his hip. An angry voice startled him so much that he nearly stumbled.

"Cesare Jackson!" He skidded to a halt just as the statue of Terminus appeared in front of him, blocking the entrance to New Rome. He practically had to skid to avoid slamming into the giant block of marble.

"Terminus, what do you want?" he asked furiously.

"I'll have no lip from you, boy! You know very well that weapons are not allowed beyond the _Pomerian line_!" The god of boundaries glared pointedly at the sword in his belt.

"Fine! Here, take it!" Cesare growled in frustration as he undid the belt of the sheath. "Gods! All these stupid rules!"

"Stupid rules?" Terminus sounded aghast. "These stupid rules are how we keep order, solider! And order is what separates us from the savages and allows us to win military campaigns for the glory of Rome!"

"Just take the sword!" Cesare spat.

"You can hand it over to Christine. Where is that girl?" Terminus looked around for his assistant as Cesare ground his teeth.

"Christine? Bring the tray!"

A little girl in jeans and a _Frozen_ t-shirt came running out of the entrance with a tray. Christine was only eight but her family had been providing assistants to Terminus for decades.

"Now just give the sword to Christine and you can be on your way," Terminus said in a much calmer voice –happy to see a rule being observed. "Though I have no idea why you are in full armor. Nowhere near time for evening muster. And I see that hair cut is still not to regulation…"

Terminus continued to grumble as Christine bounced up to him and smiled as she held out the tray. As mad as he was he couldn't help but smile at her dimpled cheeks. He usually had a treat to sneak to her when Terminus wasn't looking but he could only pat her head today. He ran right past the armless statue, leaving him mid-sentence.

When he got home he was out of breath and covered in sweat. The door was unlocked and he just walked in and started stripping his armor off in the foyer. Percy came around the corner with a confused look on his face and Cesare stopped him before he could ask.

"They said no." He finally got down to his SPQR shirt and dumped his armor in a heap by the door and went to his room without a backward glance.

His room was fairly neat for a 16-year-old boy. In the barracks they had to keep it as clean as possible for inspections, so honestly, he never knew if he was a messy person or not. He had memories of toys all over the floor when he was younger but he went to live at Camp Jupiter when he turned twelve and had to live under the thumb of the legion. Everything at camp came with rules attached and he could never actually be himself. Now Blaine wanted him to become Praetor and not only help enforce those rules but become a shining example of them. Even if he wanted to be with Blaine he wouldn't accept being Praetor.

He looked around. There was a Fall Out Boy poster that Percy got for him, a small bookcase with a few books in ancient Greek and Latin, and a desk. That was it. He wiped his hand down his face and fell face first onto his bed with its basic blue comforter. He couldn't sleep, he had to get back for guard duty and evening muster at some point, but he just needed a break from everything.

"Cesare?" Nico's voice was laced with concern but he didn't even look up from where he had his face buried in the pillows.

"Cesare, come on _piccolo eroe_ we need to talk to you," said Nico trying to lift him up.

"No," he mumbled into his bed. "You and Dad should go on the vacation, I'll be fine. Just gonna lie here forever and wish I could dump the whole camp into the Underworld."

Nico chuckled at that. "You know if your Dad could trigger an earthquake as you and I split open a chasm in the middle of the camp it could work."

"Really?" Cesare mumbled hopefully.

"No, not really, son," answered Nico fondly. "Come on. Get up."

He groaned as he got up from the bed and followed Nico down the hall to the living room. Percy was finishing up a phone call as they entered. There was luggage piled in the middle of the floor and he sighed at the sight of it. Maybe he could talk them into going without him, but the idea of staying in camp without them close by wasn't a fun one. Plus, he'd always wanted to see Venice. Nico was born there and he'd taught Cesare Italian when he was little. It suddenly occurred to him that he might not even get to go to Venice until his ten years of service to the legion were up.

"Reyna says she can handle most of the preparations while we're gone," Percy said hanging up the cordless phone. Despite the latest technological advancements, landlines were the only safe way for demi-gods to make phone calls. "I'll call my mom next and ask her if we can stay in my old room until we find a place."

"Good, I'll start packing. We need separate out stuff for the trip and what's going into storage," said Nico.

"Can you call Hazel and Frank too?" he asked Percy as he headed for the luggage.

"Yeah I got it," Percy said, starting to dial again. Cesare looked between his Dads in confusion.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

"We told you we could move back to the East coast if we needed to," said Nico.

"Wait. What? We're moving?" he asked in shock.

"Yes," they said in unison.

"No, stop," he said. "You can't just pick up and move because I can't go on a trip."

"It's not just that," Percy said looking at him sadly. He turned the phone off and faced his son. "We raised you here so you could be around other kids like you and not have to deal with monsters attacking every five minutes. But you're obviously not happy here and we understand."

"It's better here in New Rome but we felt uncomfortable in Camp Jupiter too when we were young," said Nico. "We're Greek demi-gods not Roman, and maybe you need to get to know your Greek roots."

"You still shouldn't leave the protection of New Rome," Cesare said feeling guilty. "I can go to Camp Half-Blood without you guys moving."

"We went through the most dangerous times in our lives without living here," Percy said smiling. "We'll be fine in New York. We're more at home there anyway, people don't stop and point at us."

"We're either the heroes who helped stop a war or the bad luck couple," Nico said grudgingly.

"Sometimes both," Percy interjected. "A Lare walked right up to me like a week ago and said that back in his day sons of Neptune were only good for cleaning the stables."

"Do you remember his name?" Nico asked looking pissed.

"No, you're not going to banish him to the Underworld," Percy said affectionately.

Nico's eyes narrowed even as he let the issue drop. "We're going to pack and once we've got everything in storage, we're going on our trip. We'll just deal with the rest when we get back," Nico said.

Over the next two days he packed his room and helped his Dads with the rest of the house. They still hadn't decided whether or not they would sell the Villa or keep it in case Nico and Percy wanted to retire in New Rome when they hit their golden years. He handed in his resignation from the legion to Stacy who actually looked sorry about it. Blaine wasn't in the office at the time and he was glad. He was shocked when Stacy saluted him and even restored his tattoo so he could remember his time as a legionnaire. He said good-bye to his cohort and promised to stay for one last dinner with them.

"So, you're going to live with the Greeks, huh?" asked Maribel that night in the mess hall. She smiled at him with big brown eyes that dominated her face.

The entire second cohort gathered in one spot lounging on benches and couches, dining as they did in ancient Rome. Word had gotten around that he was leaving and a few other campers came over to say good-bye. Don the faun had latched onto him the minute he set foot in the building and cried all over him. When he finally let go he asked Cesare if he had anymore cupcakes he didn't want.

"Yeah, well technically I'm one of them," he said forcing a grin.

"Nah, you're one of us," said Aiden. "We converted you to Roman and once you get over and see how lame it is, you'll be back."

"I heard the girls there are really hot though." He looked over at Quinn, the buzz cut redhead covered in freckles and Centurion of the second cohort. He had a dreamy smile on his face as if he were imagining a harem of Greek beauties.

"I hope you don't think you'd have better luck with them?" asked Susan looking at him with distaste.

"They might appreciate a man in uniform," said Quinn smiling smugly.

"Not one whose idea of a romantic date is taking them to gym to watch him work out," said Maribel.

They all laughed and Cesare glanced across the room and saw Blaine staring at him. His laughter died in his mouth and he tried to pretend like he didn't see, but he could feel the other boy's eyes on him now. He had to force himself to laugh through the rest of dinner and not turn to see if Blaine was still looking. But he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. Outside the sun had just set and he took his time hugging and getting hard slaps on the back from his cohort. Eventually they had to part ways so his friends could go to their barracks and he could go home. He started walking back to New Rome and heard footsteps behind him on the hard, cobbled street.

"Cesare."

"Hey," he said calmly, turning around to face his friend. Blaine wasn't in his Praetor uniform for once. He was wearing plain jeans and a purple SPQR t-shirt.

"Were you even going to tell me?" he asked. Cesare looked down at his feet for a second, too guilty to keep eye contact.

"I didn't know how, Blaine," he said honestly.

"Tell me it's just your Dads," Blaine said walking forward to look him in the eye. "Tell me it's just them wanting to go back to the Greeks and you, you'll beg, you'll fight to stay here. Your aunt and uncle are here, you could live with them," he said desperately.

"No," he said gently. "It's not just my Dads. I want to go."

"Why? Because of the trip? Because of your demotion?" It was so hard to look at him, to watch him trying to make sense of it.

"Because of all of it. I'm just not happy here, Blaine. It's all rules and the expectations! I feel like I can't breathe!"

"That's only because you haven't found your place yet. Cesare, if you become Praetor, I know you'd be happy. You wouldn't have to do any of the grunt work and we could spend more time together."

A couple of Lares walked by and they fell silent until they were alone again. When the Lares disappeared down the street Blaine took his hand and looked at him.

"Please stay. I'll break up with Stacy right now if you want me to, just stay."

"I can't," he said sadly. "I can't stay and you shouldn't break up with Stacy. She's good for you. I wouldn't be. You love Camp Jupiter, you love being Praetor and being with me would just make all of that hard for you. We would never work, Blaine, you gotta let it go." He pulled his hand away.

Blaine stared at him with glassy eyes and all he could think was that he was the worst person in the world. Why didn't want this? Why couldn't he _make_ himself want this?

"I guess that's it then," Blaine said as his breath shuddered and he turned away. Cesare watched him walk off, wondering if he should call after him or if it was better this way. A breeze blew gently by and he smelled something rosy and sweet.

"I always knew you'd be a heartbreaker."

Standing right beside him, as if she'd been there all along, was a tall blonde woman in a white and gold gown with a plunging neckline. Cesare yelped and jumped away. His hand went for his sword before he remembered that he'd turned it in to the armory. The woman smiled, obviously amused at his distress.

"Who are you?" he finally asked.

"Aw," she said pouting prettily. "I thought you'd be able to recognize me on sight, Cesare. You were born in my arms after all." He stared at her stupidly before it registered.

"You're Aphrodite?"

"You must have gotten that adorable obliviousness from Percy. Anyway, I told your fathers I would check up on you as you grew."

She looked him over like she was appraising a piece of art. "You're so handsome," she said proudly. "I just knew those two boys would make wonderful children. I have half a mind to offer them a shot at giving you a little brother or sister."

Before he could voice his thoughts on that, she threw her arm around his shoulder.

"And already rejecting suitors!" Aphrodite gave him a little squeeze and began walking him in the direction of New Rome.

"That was a nasty one," she said with only the barest touch of sympathy. "That young man will have a hard time getting over you."

"He will?" he asked looking at her.

"I'm afraid so," she said as they walked. Her stride was relaxed even though he was sure it shouldn't be so easy to walk on cobblestones in heels. There were guards and other legionnaires about, heading to their posts or going to their barracks but no one seemed to see her. Even the Lares walked right past them without noticing.

"You opened his eyes to things he never knew about himself," she continued. "He can't stop associating that part of who he is with you. You were the first boy he ever liked. It gave him his first secret. During the day he worked hard to avoid or spurn you, but at night he pulled his secret close and cherished it. He longed for you and just when he thought you were within his reach, you pushed him away. Isn't it beautiful?"

"You, uh, you certainly make it sound very poetic, Lady Aphrodite." His guilt was a stone around his neck but he tried not to show just how awful he really found it. His Dads always told him that Aphrodite was fond of breaking hearts with unrequited love and he didn't want to make her mad.

"Oh, it's the stuff of Shakespearean tragedies!" she crowed. "But don't feel too bad," she said giving him another squeeze. "Tell your fathers I said hello."

She disappeared, leaving him alone and looking around in confusion.

"Bye, Aunt Hazel." His aunt hugged him so hard he thought he'd choke. He just went with it, burying his face in her mane sweet smelling curls.

As soon she let go his Uncle Frank bear hugged him –thankfully—without turning into an actual bear. Hazel seized Nico and Percy was hovering a few feet away trying to avoid his turn.

"Cesare!" His little cousin tugged on his shirt until he dropped to one knee in front of her. Her hair was curly like Hazel's but her coloring was lighter, like warm caramel. She had Frank's almond shaped eyes and right now they looked at him fiercely.

"Remember," she said with a seriousness that was just funny on a nine-year-old child. "The pack cannot survive if one is weak."

"Sophie just got back from the Wolf House. It'll wear off…hopefully," Frank laughed. Cesare didn't laugh. He looked back at her just as seriously.

"I remember." Then they gave each other their best wolf glares until Sophie nodded in approval and launched herself at him. He caught in her a hug and patted her back. She could join the legion in a few years and unlike him, she seemed cut out for it.

"We'll visit you soon at Camp Half-Blood," Hazel said.

"Yeah, just let us know when you get back Italy. I'd sure like to go back," Frank said wistfully.

"And be careful!" Hazel said, fixing his Dads with the same fierce look as her daughter had given to Cesare.

"We'll be fine, Hazel," Percy said but he got too close and was pulled into hug.

Hazel, Frank, and Sophie stood back as the three of them held hands in the middle of their now empty living room. Cesare was between them, holding both of their hands like he used to do when he was little. They were all loaded down with duffle bags and backpacks, which were easier to shadow travel with since whatever they took had to be strapped to them.

"Hey, give your Dad a boost," Percy said to him. "He's been shadow traveling all our junk to New York for the last two days."

Hazel and Frank waved good-bye as they disappeared into the shadows. Cesare felt a little tug behind his belly button and knew it was Nico tapping into their Underworld connection. One second they were moving through nothingness and the next they were standing a narrow alley in Venice, Italy.


	5. Something Wicked

The difference was everywhere but mostly in the little details. Bricks under his feet instead of concrete or asphalt, buildings with the same red shingled roofs, the sound and smell of water, and about a hundred other little things that made him feel like he was in another world. It was a shock though, going from mild weather in New Rome to the heat of Venice in the summer. Suddenly, he regretted wearing jeans and not shorts. He followed behind his parents as they left the alley and ended up on some main street.

"It's exactly the same," Percy said happily as he looked around.

"Yeah I don't know why but I was worried that alley wouldn't be there anymore. But things don't change here like they do in America," said Nico.

Percy took his hand and whispered something in his ear that made him and laugh and Cesare rolled his eyes.

"Get a room, guys," he said, making his Dads laugh harder. "Speaking of rooms, where is the hotel?" he asked, struggling with his bags and squinting against the sun.

"We're close," Nico said, looking back at him.

They rounded the corner of a building and suddenly he was right next to the water. There was a gondolier guiding his boat down the canal. Cafes and restaurants lined the streets here and there was so much foot traffic that he had to work not to fall behind. There was a covered bridge up ahead and he hoped they didn't have to cross that because it looked jammed with tourists taking pictures.

"In here," said Nico. He barely had time to see the outside of the hotel before they went inside.

He felt immediate relief from the heat when they stepped inside the building. The inside looked like a period drama brought to life, everything was 18th century classic. There was a room off to the right that looked like a restaurant area. He didn't even need to smell the food before his stomach rumbled. A few guests made their way through the lobby and there were staff milling around as well. He saw a couple of bell boys waiting by the desk. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed until someone behind the counter called out to them.

"Buon pomeriggio a tutti e due! Benvenuti all'Hotel Rialto!" The staff in the vicinity snapped to attention and smiled at them.

He followed his parents to the check in desk and signed in. Nico chatted with desk clerks in Italian. Usually he had no one to talk to in his native tongue besides Cesare, but he still managed an easy speaking rhythm.. The Concierge handed his Dad two keys and signaled the bell-boy, who rushed over to take their bags. He loaded the luggage on a cart and led them to the elevator.

"So what are we doing first?" Cesare asked excitedly.

"Your Dad needs a nap. He's tired from…traveling," Percy said, casting a glance at the bell boy crammed in the elevator with them.

Their rooms were on the third floor. Cesare got one all to himself. It was decorated in red and white with an 18th century table and chairs. The headboard for the bed looked so fancy he wondered if they stole it from Marie Antoinette.

His Dads got some romantic suite with windows that overlooked the Grand Canal. The sheets, curtains, and carpet were green and gold with matching furniture. Cesare was busy poking around the room while his parents tipped the bellboy. The bathroom attached to his Dads' suite had two sinks, a huge bathtub, and was floored in fake stone tile.

"Your bathroom's way nicer than mine," he called out. He was about to compare it to their bathroom at home when he remembered that they technically didn't have a home anymore. He tried not to dwell on it and walked back to enjoy the view. Nico threw himself on the bed as Percy and Cesare looked out the windows at the city.

"I'm hungry," he said to his Dad.

"Me too," said Percy.

"Oh gods, it's started," groaned Nico but he had a sleepy smile on his face.

"What?" Cesare asked him.

"Wait till you see how much your Dad can eat here," he said, toeing off his shoes.

"I'm not as young as I used to be," Percy joked, "but get me in front of that fish soup and we'll see."

"You two go find lunch," Nico said as piled the pillows under his head.

"We'll come wake you for dinner," Percy said on their way out the door.

Back outside the tourist traffic was still everywhere and he bumped into people more than once. He blamed himself for that because he was so distracted by everything. The boats tied up along the Grand Canal, the sound of Italian being spoken everywhere, and the contrast of the architecture. All the buildings looked like they'd been standing for generations. A water-bus went by and he nearly plowed into a woman as he tried to watch it sail down the canal. Percy ended up having to grab his hand and pull him along. He headed back the way they came to get to the hotel down a street called Calle Larga Mazzini. This street didn't have nearly as many people on it. He could only make out a couple walking far ahead.

"Dad, do you know where you're going?" he asked Percy.

"Umm kind of?" Percy responded brightly. "But if we get lost you can always ask for directions."

"Can we please not get lost? I'm too hungry, I'll pass out and die in this heat," he said, but his mood was still high.

"You're a demi-god," said Percy, "a little heat won't kill you."

"Technically, I'm a demi demi-god. What are the children of demi-gods called at Camp Half-Blood?" Percy seemed to ponder that for a moment before shrugging.

"Not sure. There aren't many, if any, children of demi-gods at Camp Half-Blood. Usually when a half-blood decides to leave camp and make a life in the mortal world, they train their children themselves but it's not often it comes to that. Most of them die being out in the open with monsters after them, and others chose not to bring children into that."

They passed a gelato shop and Cesare stopped to stare inside.

"We can come back tonight for dessert," said Percy.

"So, there won't be anybody like me at Camp Half-Blood?" he asked, walking faster to catch up. Percy threw and arm around his shoulders and ruffled his curls with his other hand.

"Son, there was no one like you at Camp Jupiter. You're just going to have to live with being one of a kind," he said smiling gently.

Eventually, Percy did find the restaurant. It was called Devil's Forest Pub and he was surprised by the American choices on the menu.

"It's cheating, I know, but your other Dad will be mad if we go to any of the good Italian restaurant without him," Percy said biting into his burger.

When they got back to the hotel Percy told him he could wander around a little as long as he stayed close to the hotel and promised to be back by five for dinner. He agreed and got a little wad of Euros, but he had to make another promise not to sneak back to gelato shop without them. Instead, he headed straight for the Rialto Bridge. It was past lunch now so all the tourists who had gone in search of food were back to sight-seeing. It took him longer than expected to cross with all the people stopping in the way to take pictures. He was heading for a café when a gondolier called out to him.

"Volete fare un giro lungo il canale?" _Would you like a ride down the canal?_

"No grazie," he said and kept walking.

"Sei sicuro? Che harpie non attaccherà se tu sei con me." _Are you sure? That harpie will not attack if you're with me._

He whipped his head around and the gondolier was suddenly a handsome man with wings. He was leaning on his oar and smiling pleasantly at Cesare. He dropped back a little closer to the boat but didn't turn his back on this odd angel. Scanning the area he saw nothing at first but then he spotted an old lady up ahead, staring at him. After what happened in New York he knew having the undivided attention of a woman that old was trouble. People continued to pass him and he tried not to look so stiff but years of habit were hard to break. His muscles were taut and ready to spring into action and he was clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Get in, she won't bother us," the angel said in English.

"Who are you?" asked Cesare cautiously.

"My name is Favonius, god of the west wind, and I'm an old acquaintance of your parents." He rustled his russet colored wings and smiled brighter.

"You work for Cupid, right?" asked Cesare.

"That's right. Your fathers have mentioned me?"

"Once or twice," he said. He remembered that Percy didn't really have a problem with the guy but Nico got annoyed whenever they were reminiscing and his name popped up.

He edged closer and stepped into the boat. Once he was seated Favonius pushed them out into the water and rowed them away. Cesare looked back to find the old lady but she had already disappeared.

"It's dangerous without a weapon or your parents," said Favonius.

He almost blushed with embarrassment. He'd forgotten that he no longer had a sword. It was Imperial gold and belonged to Camp Jupiter now.

"I'm not helpless," he said defensively. "I know how to use my powers."

"But could you be discreet with them in a crowded place like this? Could you have lured her away and still been close enough to the water to use it? Harpies are fast, she would have been on you before you could summon the dead."

Favonius cut a wide arch and turned the boat around.

"My master sent me with a gift," he said. A sword appeared in his hand and he offered it to Cesare.

"Why would Cupid give me a sword?" he asked, looking from the weapon to the god holding it.

"He believes it will serve you well if you can master it." They were close to the bridge now and he wondered what the mortals saw. No one pointed, or stared so he guessed they couldn't see Favonius's huge wings, but could they see the sunlight glinting off of the metal parts of the sheath? Cesare took it and examined the weapon.

"It's Roman," he said puzzled. "From all the ornamentation I'd say it belonged to someone high up in the Legion."

"It's sort of Roman but not exactly," said Favonius.

"What do you mean? The scabbard is Roman."

"True, but the sword is Celestial bronze."

They passed under the Rialto Bridge and its shadow gave them a brief respite from the heat but it didn't last as they came out the other side and glided toward the hotel.

"Why is a Celestial bronze sword in a Roman sheath?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that's something you have to figure out yourself. The histories of Greece and Rome are full of complicated events that have never been solved. Look at how long it took to find the _Athena Parthenos_ after the Romans took it from Athens. This sword was in the middle of such an event. It hasn't had an owner since."

"And Cupid thinks I can master it? Become its new owner? How?"

"You're the only one who can solve the secret of the sword. Once you do that you should be able to claim it," the god said with a shrug.

The gondola stopped in front the hotel and he climbed out, holding the sword as inconspicuously as possible.

"Give my regards to your fathers, especially Nico. I'm proud of how he avoided having a fate like mine."

Before he could ask what that meant, Favonius spread his wings and took off in a rush of wind. He didn't have time to stand around staring so he rushed inside, hiding the sword as best he could and went up to his room. He sat down and looked at the sword closely. It was shaped like a Roman _Gladius_, similar to his old sword. The sheath was made of leather and wood and decorated with tinned bronze depicting moments in Roman history. It looked perfectly standard, like any sword belonging to a high ranking leader.

He wrapped his hand around the ivory and wood hilt and pulled the sword from the sheath. The bronze gave off a soft glow that seemed to dim the light in his room a little. There was no doubt, it was Celestial bronze. It was made like a _Gladius_ but glowed like Riptide. He angled the blade and saw his reflection in the still polished surface. Then light flashed off the blade. It only took a split second but now the eyes looking at him weren't his. They were dark brown and looked hard with determination and anger. His breath caught before he could shout and then he falling into blackness.

* * *

It was a jumble, a cluster of images flashing in front of him. Some of them went by so fast he had no time to see what they were. Others were slower, but not by much. He saw a young man around his age walking through the streets of an ancient city with his friends. They were wearing togas. They laughed and stole fruit from stands and made rude gestures at anyone who dared stare at them or chide them. The boy with the dark eyes was in the center. He had black hair cut close and a reckless look to him. His arm was thrown around a blonde boy's shoulders as they walked.

The images rushed by again and he saw the same two boys together in a room. They were naked on a bed that looked well used and the blonde moaned softly as the dark haired one kissed his way down the front of his body. There was another rush and he saw the group of friends together again in what looked a tavern. They were drinking and gambling. Half naked girls sat on their laps and laughed with them but once again the blonde boy was close by his "friend's" side. It didn't seem to bother him when the darker boy grabbed a girl's breast or kissed her. The next thing he saw was the dark hair boy –a little older now—walking up a hill into a city. It wasn't Rome. It actually looked like the Acropolis of Athens except it wasn't ruins, not like it was today.

Whatever force gripped him and pulled him into the past suddenly let go. He was flat on his back on the bed in his hotel room and too stunned to breathe for a second. He had the sword clenched tight in his fist but he let go of it quickly. He sat up and looked at it as it rested on the bed next to him. The only thing he saw in the reflection now were his own eyes. He hesitated at first but eventually worked up the nerve to pick it up again and sheathed it. He stuffed it in bottom of his duffle bag. That would at least keep it out of sight so housekeeping wouldn't find it and think he'd robbed a museum.

He knew he should run down the hall and tell his Dads but he couldn't move. He stood there staring at the duffle bag trying to make sense of what he saw. Who was that boy?

* * *

"I'm going to dinner, are you coming?"

Blaine tapped his pen on the surface of the table as he read the same report for the third time.

"Blaine?"

Even though she spoke softly -as she often did when they were alone- Stacy's voice annoyed him. He nearly snapped at her but stopped himself. He just took a deep breath and looked up from the paper. She was standing in the doorway, waiting for him to acknowledge her. She had a hopeful look on her face like maybe he'd finally start acting like himself again. Some part of him knew he'd been aggravated ever since Cesare left, but he couldn't help how angry and hurt he felt. And some part of him blamed Stacy.

"No," he said in a clipped tone and went back to staring at the report.

"Okay, maybe I'll see you for breakfast?" she asked gently.

He didn't bother to respond and after a few heartbeats she walked away. He tried to concentrate but now reading the report was pissing him off. It was some request to build a new unicorn stable. This is what happened when something had to change in Camp Jupiter. The matter was assessed, reports were filed, it was reviewed by the Praetors, sometimes they could decide on it, but if the issue was big enough it was discussed in the Senate. All of this before a decision was even made about it. No wonder Cesare felt smothered here.

Blaine balled up the report and threw it across the room then he kicked back from the table and growled as he swiped half of its contents onto the floor. Stacks of paper toppled, pens and pencils flew, but it wasn't nearly satisfying enough. He yanked at his armor, ripping the cape off his shoulders and flinging it aside. The rest of the fitted gold metal came off in pieces and he sent each one sailing to a new location –sometimes taking more stacks of paper and books down as they went. He even yanked off his camp t-shirt and ripped it half. It wasn't until he was down to his jeans -chest heaving and eyes stinging—that he noticed someone in the corner of the room.

"Why are you here?" he asked harshly.

When the figured came out of the shadows he saw that it was a girl around his age with long black hair and skin as white as paper. She was small, almost as petite as Stacy, and her face was doll-like. She wore tattered black jeans and a SPQR t-shirt that was in the same condition.

"It's frustrating isn't it?" she asked. Her voice was a soft whisper but he heard her clearly. "If he hadn't felt so trapped here, he never would have left."

"You shouldn't be in here," he said looking around at the mess he made.

"I know but I thought you could use a friend," she said coming closer. "Don't get me wrong, Stacy is a great Praetor and I'm sure she's a very understanding girlfriend but she enforces the rules with such an iron fist."

"It's her job. Our job," he corrected and started to pick up the papers from the floor.

"But look at what it cost you," she said sadly. She knelt next to him. Her feet were bare but somehow that didn't strike him as odd. "It wouldn't hurt if some of these rules were abolished. Maybe if he sees that this place can change he would come back."

"Some of the smaller rules are useless," he agreed.

"But Stacy would never go for it," said the girl with a little laugh. "She'll never compromise either. She'll fight you on this just like she did about him. She always fought you on everything. You wanted to ease up on a lot of the protocols around here in the past but she argued you down. And when it came to him she fought you even harder. Now she's managed to drive him away."

"I should have broken up with her. I never thought…he must have hated seeing me parading around with her on my arm. And he never said a bad word about her."

He threw away the few documents he'd managed to gather and started pacing. He was too worked up to notice how the girl watched him silently, her eyes tracking his movements like predator.

"He always defended her and she just dumped on him any chance she got! And what did I do? I just sat back and let her! I let this place get to him! I chose this office over him!" he roared.

Suddenly the girl was next to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder but instead of comfort, he felt fire. Her bare skin on his made him feel righteous in his fury and suddenly he wanted to tear everything down.

"But you can use this office to get him back. Change this place for the better."

"How?" he asked without a shred of hesitation.

"The Romans are so stubborn and dedicated to their rules. We might need help. I can get it."

"He'll come back?" he asked her.

"Of course he will. We just need get rid of everything that drove him away," she said quietly. Her hand burned into his skin but he didn't pull away, when he looked down he had a perfect hand-shaped welt on his shoulder.

"I'll go," she said smiling, "You take care of Stacy. We can't have her standing in the way again."

For a second he saw something in her dark eyes. It looked like fire and ruin, like great cities brought low as mobs ran wild, but he blinked and it was gone. His mind was filled with thoughts of Cesare. Getting him back was all that mattered.

"She won't be a problem," he promised.


	6. Shadows

Cesare paced his hotel room as he cast glances at the duffle bag in the corner. He had tried not to think about the vision. They went to dinner and he laughed as he watched his Dad eat three bowls of fish soup. He and Nico laughed again at the gelato shop as Percy tried to finish his dessert, even as he moaned in pain from a stomachache. But it was in the back of his mind all evening. The boy's face, those glimpses into his life, they were nagging at him. He had no idea how it happened and that scared him, but what scared him more was how much he wanted another look. His curiosity was eating him alive. He was supposed to be sleeping. They were sight-seeing tomorrow and had to get an early start, but he couldn't stop pacing and he couldn't stop looking at the bag.

Cupid wanted him to figure this out and master this sword. He had no reason to hesitate, except…except he hadn't told his Dads about it. Favonius, the harpie, or the sword, they knew nothing. He wasn't sure why he was keeping it a secret but he just didn't want to share it yet. If he figured it out he would tell them. That was enough reassurance to get him across the room to the bag. He unzipped it and pulled out the sword.

Once again he looked at the decorations on the sheath. There was nothing to indicate who owned it, maybe if he could decipher the images he could guess a time frame but that still didn't help. Cesare sat on the bed and took a deep breath. He slowly pulled the sword out. He was looking at the blade and trying to avoid locking eyes with his own reflection. There were scratches near the hilt that he'd missed before. He squinted and looked closer and realized that it was faded engraving. Constant oiling, fighting, and even the action of drawing the sword from the scabbard had worn down whatever was written but he looked closer, practically pressing his face to the weapon. It was so tiny, almost like the owner had scratched it there himself and didn't want anyone else to notice.

There was a lamp on the table next to his bed. He switched it on and held the sword under it. Now the scratches made more sense. It was a name, etched into the sword in Greek. His brain picked it out perfectly because he was hardwired for it.

ᾍδης

Hades

And then he was falling again.

* * *

This time he tried to focus instead of fight it. He wanted the images to go slower and they did, but everything was out of order. The first image he focused on was one with the boys gambling again. It was a game of dice that he didn't know but he could tell that the dark haired boy was losing and when he refused to pay a fight broke out in the tavern. His friends dragged him out and he shook them off, spitting blood from his broken lip. He marched away with them following at a distance.

In the next image the boy was sitting on a bench in a room. He had nothing on but some cloth wrapped around his waist and he was talking to the blonde boy. Cesare could tell they were in a Roman bathhouse in one of the warm rooms because they were both covered in sweat. They were speaking intensely about something but broke off when some other men entered the room. The last thing he saw was the boy talking to a girl. They were in someone's home and it looked like he was trying to flirt. There was no sign of the blonde.

When the visions released him he was flat on his back again with the sword still in his hand. This time he stashed the sword away in frustration rather than anger. He still couldn't figure out who the boy was or what he was supposed to be learning.

* * *

"Thank the gods for online reservations," Percy muttered as they passed the queue and headed straight for the entrance to St. Mark's Basilica.

"Yeah the line looks even longer this time," agreed Nico.

Cesare didn't envy the poor people roasting in the heat as they waited for their turn to tour the church. There was no mass today so everyone could wear shorts into the church. He'd found a few pairs of his old cargos in the bottom of his largest suitcase and figured Nico put them there when he wasn't looking and he was grateful. The sky was perfectly clear and the sun beat down without anything to block it.

He and his parents just handed in the tickets they printed online at home and got in no problem. He'd had trouble sleeping after touching the sword last night but as they walked into the church he forgot how tired he was. His eyes went straight up and his mouth dropped open. He was so busy staring at the ceiling that he didn't see Percy snort and nudge Nico to look at him.

"So?" Percy asked his husband once they were done laughing at their son's stupor. "You gonna tell us about this place?" He smirked and Nico blushed and tried to suppress a smile.

"Saint Mark's Basilica is an example of Italian-Byzantine architecture," he said. "Thanks to the mosaics the church was nicknamed-"

"Chiesa d'Oro," Cesare breathed.

"That's right. Church of Gold," said Nico, looking at his son proudly. "You okay?"

"Whoa," was all he could manage. Cesare walked forward slowly, eyes still trained on the ceiling.

"He's as bad as you were when we came here the first time," said Percy.

The entire upper level of the church was covered in gold mosaics, making the ceiling shine. Nico had to grab Cesare by the arm to lead them up to the altar. He was finally able to shake off some of his amazement and listen to his Dad as he explained about the art in the church. He smiled when he saw how Percy paid attention as Nico talked about relics and gold glass tesserae. Percy didn't interrupt, he wasn't even looking around, and his focus was entirely on Nico. Maybe he didn't know it but the look on his face said he actually couldn't care less about the Four Evangelists. What he loved was Nico's fascination with it all.

Cesare felt a sudden pang of hurt for Blaine. His Dads were around their age when they fell in love here. This was how they must have looked all those years ago, Nico rambling, bright-eyed over some piece of art history, and Percy gazing at him with that adoring look. He was absolutely sure now that he wasn't meant to be with Blaine. It was never like this. He'd had a crush on Blaine when they were younger but that wore off. And while Blaine may have liked him later, and even convinced himself that it was love, it wasn't. It was more like he was obsessed with the idea of them together. They never looked at each other like this. Stacy was good for him, she made him focused, but he was pretty sure Blaine never looked at her this way either.

The tour only lasted ten minutes then they were ushered out so the next group could come in. They saw the Doge's Palace next and during the tour Cesare got an idea.

"Hey Dad?" he asked Nico. "So this place is full of old stuff. Could ghosts or something be attached to any of it? Like you touch it and see the past?"

Nico looked confused and frowned.

"Maybe? I'm not really sure. There are spirits hanging around some of these old places."

"Really?" Cesare and Percy said at the same time. Nico rolled his eyes as his husband and son looked around the palace trying to spot ghosts.

"You," he said to Percy, "won't be able to see them. Not a son of Poseidon thing. And Cesare, you're not concentrating. But it's hard to say. Your Aunt Hazel used to pass out and relive her past all the time, but that was because she came back from the dead and had unresolved issues with everything that happened to her. I guess if the residual energy were strong enough, like from a half-blood like us, you could tap into it."

"Cool, I just wanted to know in case I bumped into something in here," he said quickly to divert suspicion.

"It would probably take more than that," said Nico.

For lunch they crossed the Bridge of Sighs and headed for a fresh pasta restaurant his Dads remembered. Walking around in the heat had taken its toll and they decided to order extra and just go back to the hotel and rest. The pasta came in little to-go boxes like a Chinese restaurant and Percy had four of them and was already asking about gelato.

"I'll make you a deal," said Nico, "if you can walk without pain when you're done with all that pasta, we'll get gelato."

He stayed with them in their room just to see how it played out. In the end they did not go out for gelato because Percy was in the bed flat on his back with a stomachache.

"Gods," he moaned.

"You brought this on yourself," Nico said without pity.

"You know, you can help me burn off these extra calories," Percy suggested.

"Ugh!" Cesare groaned in disgust. "I am so glad my room is at the other end of the hall."

"Yeah, why don't you go there? Now," Percy commanded, pointing at the door. Nico just laughed as Cesare bolted.

* * *

Stacy was in casual clothes, which was a rare sight, as was watching her walk around with nothing but a latte in hand. Her long, straight brown hair was loose around her shoulders and if he didn't know any better he'd say she was just a regular girl walking down the street.

"Stacy?" He called her name brightly and smiled as he walked toward her.

"Blaine," she said, half surprised.

"Are you coming to the office?"

"Sure," she said with a little hesitation.

"Great, this unicorn stable thing is driving me crazy," he said, sighing for effect.

They walked down the road from New Rome in relative silence. Stacy was rigid, like she was waiting for him to snap at her again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just feel like I failed him." Stacy looked at him but he stared straight ahead. Finally she sighed and took his hand.

"You didn't fail him, Blaine. You did your job as Praetor. This wasn't the right place for Cesare. He'll be happier with the Greeks."

He nodded and gripped her hand tighter as they walked. They went back to being silent but she relaxed more. Once they made it to the Principia she had relaxed enough she didn't notice when he dropped back from walking beside her.

"So, the request for the new stable, is it a problem with the location? Because-" Stacy stopped short when she saw the mess in the office. Paper and books littered the floor, the chairs were turn over, and the Eagle was gone.

"Oh my Gods," Stacy gasped. "Blaine, get the guards." She moved forward into the room but stopped when her foot landed on something hard. When she lifted it up there was a broken iPad under it. Then she turned around and noticed Blaine hadn't moved.

"Blaine! The Eagle is gone! Go get the guards. We need to search the building and the camp to find who did this!" But he only stared at her.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded and marched over to him.

He put a finger to her lips and shushed her.

"I think they're still here in the principia." He pointed to a door down the hall.

"We don't know how many there are so you go get the guards and I'll go after them."

"Blaine, you know where that door leads and I'm not letting you go down there alone," she said firmly.

Stacy picked her way through the mess in the office and went to the far wall where they had heirloom weapons hanging on the wall and picked two daggers. It was the best they could do on short notice. She handed one to Blaine and they headed for the door.

* * *

Cesare pulled his sheets up over his head and clenched his eyes shut, trying to force himself to sleep. The sword loomed large in his mind and it was starting to really scare him. He wanted to touch it, to see the visions into that boy's life. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch out. Worse than that was the frustration. He didn't understand what he was supposed to be learning or how to master the sword. Cupid could have given better instructions and he was beginning to see why his Dad disliked the guy.

He wasn't getting anywhere with this. So far all he could make out was that the sword was showing him different moments in the life of this guy. He was a Roman citizen, that was clear but why was he important? It didn't look like he was doing anything particularly significant, except gambling and sleeping with people. At least the blonde boy seemed important to him for a time but in the last vision he was with a girl. Even that wasn't important. In ancient Rome, homosexuality had weird rules surrounding its practice.

The sword had Hades' name scratched into it in Greek. Cesare rolled over onto his back and frowned at the ceiling. Could it be that the boy was a Greek living in Rome? He could relate to that and maybe that was the clue. But there were many Greeks who lived in Rome, usually as slaves once the City-States were conquered. The boy didn't appear to be a slave, so that was even more confusing. Armed with a new theory and more questions, he got up and went to get the sword. The second his hand touched it he felt anger roll over him like a wave and the darkness swallowed him up whole.

* * *

It was mayhem pure and simple. He was looking at a battlefield as two opposing forces clashed against each other. Amidst the clouds of dust and dirt he saw the dark haired boy, now a man in full Roman armor. He was on a horse and the rest of the Roman cavalry were obeying his orders –at least the ones that could hear over the noise. They were in the middle of the battle and few of his troops were still near him. The other army seemed comprised of men in lamellar with curved swords. It was impossible to tell whether they too had a cavalry or if it had already been mowed down.

Blood sprayed and watered the ground, turning it into a sickening mud. One thing Cesare didn't understand was the noise. None of the visions had ever had sound before but this one was filling his ears with horrors. He heard the savage sound of men screaming and crying as they died, horses shrieked as they were wounded too, and he didn't even know animals could make such sounds.

In the bedlam, the dark haired Roman was knocked off of his horse. He was surrounded by enemy soldiers but scrambled to his feet and stood his ground as they attacked. His helmet was gone, his face was covered in grime, and Cesare couldn't understand what the enemy were shouting but the Roman kept his focus. He was holding his own against a handful of opponents. His attention jumped easily as he dealt with one after another and Cesare recognized it as battle ADHD. But more and more foes were joining the group that had him encircled. The Roman was cut off from his troops and Cesare could see panic creeping into his eyes.

The man started to scream back as he fought. His rage rolled off of him and seemed to affect his adversaries. They were beginning to panic. Some of them were even backing away. Suddenly the vision became even more visceral. Cesare could feel the blood-soaked ground beneath his feet and he knew why the other soldiers were scared. The Roman was putting off an aura and it was nearly visible now. He radiated fear and death and the ground was cracking under his feet as he fought. As the fissures widened, the enemy tried to turn and run but it was too late. Inky shadows seeped out the ground and wrapped around their ankles to drag them down. Some doubled their efforts to kill the Roman, fighting through the fear aura in hopes of ending the nightmare they'd suddenly stumbled into.

He was charged by his power and those who weren't pulled underground, he killed quickly. Cesare had never seen anything like it, not even from his father. He wasn't raising the dead or summoning spirits. The shadows were solid and looked like darkness itself. When the last man fell, the shadows receded into the ground and the Roman dropped to his knees exhausted. The battle was dying down and the last thing Cesare saw was a group of Roman soldiers walking over to their comrade and surveying the number of enemies he'd killed.

When the vision ended he was on the floor covered in cold sweat.

_**My old laptop finally gave out on me. As a result I have to put this story on pause until a miracle happens.I can't access what I already have wrritten either because it was saved on the laptop. But I'll try get this back inaction whenever I am able.**_


	7. Cabin Two

I'd like to thank Mythomagic-and-takeanap for her beautiful fanart of Cesare! Here's the link.

post/120822174495/change-the-world-cesare-jackson-from-the

* * *

Nico was already looking into teaching jobs for Art History at local colleges. He seemed excited about actually using his degree to teach, so much so that one job just wasn't enough. Chiron called in a favor and Nico landed an interview for his old Latin position. Percy was less sure. He was thinking about becoming a counselor at the camp but that would take him away from Nico for long periods of time. Cesare was trying not to point out how being a new kid at camp was bad enough without having your famous father as one of the counselor. He hesitated because he didn't think he should be acting so selfish when his parents just uprooted their lives for him.

As they walked up the hill to the camp he could almost feel the good vibes coming off of Percy. He didn't radiate his mood in energy the way Nico –and sometimes Cesare—did but he had a distinctive aura about him and it dimmed and brightened at times. Anyone standing within five feet of him would be able to tell that Percy was happy to be back at Camp Half-Blood and there was no way Cesare would punch a hole in that by being a brat. He already felt like he didn't deserve that week-long trip in Venice after basically scrubbing out at Camp Jupiter. And then there was the lying…

For the rest of their trip Cesare didn't touch the sword. The last vision was too intense. He wasn't able to sleep after it happened and he could still hear the screams echoing in the quiet of his mind, so the sword stayed in the bottom of his duffle bag and he tried to focus on enjoying Venice. He never saw Favonius again, but he wondered if the god would come and ask for the sword to be returned since he wasn't even attempting to master it. It nagged at the back of his mind and he still didn't tell his parents about it. He just laughed, ate gelato, and kept quiet about it. Now it was slung over his shoulder in the same duffle bag that felt three times as heavy because of its presence.

They crested the hill and he was standing right in front of a pine tree with a huge dragon twined around it. In the branches something sparkled so brightly that he had to squint to look at it.

"Hey Peleus," said Nico. He walked up to the dragon as it uncoiled to look at them.

"So that's the dragon? And that's the Fleece?" Cesare asked Percy, almost like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd lived around unicorns and giant flying eagles at Camp Jupiter but a dragon was another thing entirely. Standing next to him in a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, Percy just nodded as he watched Nico pet Peleus' snout.

"He was always better with Peleus," Percy said.

"It's kind of cool," said Cesare.

Cesare looked at his Dad wondering if he heard him, but Percy was looking at Nico with that struck-dumb-by-love expression so he just shrugged and walked over to the dragon. Peleus examined him for a moment before lowering his serpentine head to allow Cesare to pet him. From the top of the hill they had a panoramic view of the camp below. His parents had brought him here when he was very little and he didn't remember a thing. The only reason why he recognized some of the sights were because of all the stories he'd heard over the years.

The camp wasn't as structured as Camp Jupiter. Everything seemed to be in its natural spot instead of being methodically placed for efficiency. The Romans built everything so they could easily tear it all down and move if necessary but he could tell that wasn't even a thought here. The grassy hill rolled down into a lush green valley. The was a big blue house ahead of them, a little further away he could see a court and but he didn't know if it was for tennis or volleyball. He could smell strawberries in the air and it was making his mouth water for fruit salad.

"We'd better go to the big house," said Nico, turning toward them as Peleus returned to his perch.

They followed him down the hill and as they walked noises started to filter in. Cesare could hear kids shouting and the distant ring of metal on metal. Something drifted past the corner of his eye and disappeared when he turned his head to look. He thought he saw it on the other side and spun around but it was gone again. He kept looking around until he heard Percy chuckle.

"What is it?" he asked in confusion, still surveying the area.

"Nymphs," his father said simply. "They probably spotted us and it made them curious."

"You just remember to stay away from the water nymphs," Nico said to Percy in a very pointed tone. Percy just waved it away with a nervous laugh.

The nature spirits continued to slip in and out of his sight but he resisted the urge to look even though he really wanted too. They were teasing him. They didn't have nymphs at Camp Jupiter but he'd read and heard enough about them to know that they could be real trouble when they wanted.

The front door of the big house was open so they walked right in and heard someone talking in a very stern voice. In the living room they walked in on his godfather glaring down at two kids. He hadn't seen Jason since last Christmas and he'd never seen him like this. His blond hair was kind of all over the place and he looked exhausted. He was wearing an orange camp t-shirt like Percy and there was a string of beads around his neck.

But standing next to Jason was another big blond dude covered in eyes. Cesare almost yelped and jumped back but he somehow stayed calm. This guy was glowering at the kids with all his eyes, which was probably why the little ones were avoiding looking at him, their heads bowed in chagrin. They looked to be around eleven-years-old, both with tangled brown hair, but he could only see their backs.

"I want you two to give them all back and apologize. And you're going to apologize to Argus first. He's been wasting his time with this," said Jason.

"Well, I mean he did catch us so it wasn't a complete waste," the little boy replied in an annoyed tone.

"Now," Jason said firmly.

"We're sorry, Argus," said the girl in a sweet voice. She was holding something Cesare couldn't see but she shifted her hands and there was a clinking sound. She held something out to the many-eyed guy. "Here, this one's yours." It was a wrist watch.

"Yeah, sorry Argus," said the boy.

"Argus, will you make sure they return them to their proper owners?" asked Jason.

Argus nodded and ushered the kids toward the door where they were standing. The kids looked at them and Cesare finally saw that they were both holding a bunch of watches, at least a dozen each. They looked at Cesare and his Dads, their elf-like features bright with curiosity.

"Hey, Argus," said Percy. The guy smiled and tipped his head to them as he left.

Jason's stern expression melted and he came over hug each of them.

"Bad day on the job?" asked Nico.

"Gods! Numerous complaints of missing wrist watches for almost a month! And when Argus finally catches up to the thieves, it's the Davis twins. Children of Hermes."

"The Stoll brothers must be proud," Percy said with a grin.

"They'll probably throw the little crumb snatchers a party tonight," muttered Jason. "I can't wait for Chiron to come back from vacation!"

"How are Piper and Madison?" asked Percy.

"Good. They'll be back from visiting Piper's dad in a few days."

"Where's Mr. D?" asked Nico.

"He's holding Pinochle tournaments for the satyrs to find someone good enough to play against until Chiron comes back."

"Nothing changes," laughed Nico.

"Not true. I'm close to pulling my hair out," Jason said with a sigh.

"Looks like you already tried," Teased Percy. "I think Piper would object to a bald husband."

"That's the only thing stopping me," Jason agreed. "But we can discuss my biggest problem later. So, you ready for the tour, Cesare?" He came over and threw an arm around Cesare's shoulders and led him back to the door.

"Yeah, I guess," he said with a shrug.

* * *

The campers trained for combat but they made it look fun and effortless. Even the satyrs were different here. They didn't laze around like the fawns of Camp Jupiter. He saw them helping in the strawberry fields, and working with the campers on various projects. Jason said most of the satyrs were out finding other demi-gods. That also meant he wouldn't get to see Grover until he came back. Cesare had never met his Dad's best friend in person. They got random phone calls from him over the years, from whatever pay-phone he was near, but Percy said it was hard to keep in touch. When he wasn't searching for undiscovered demi-gods, Grover was busy heading up the protection of the wild places still left on Earth.

They took him to see the Armory and stables where he met the pegasi. The black stallion was particularly excited to see Percy. His Dad could talk to horses but it was different with Cesare. He didn't really hear their voices like Percy did, it more like he understood exactly what they were feeling. It turned out that Blackjack had kids too. His son was solid black like him except for a patch of white between his eyes. His name was Ace and he and Cesare hit it off right away. The daughter, Roulette, was a shy, chestnut colored mare with the same white mark as her brother. A buff guy named Butch was in charge of the stables and he promised to teach Cesare how to ride Ace.

They got close to the lake and the Naiads that were swimming around started calling out to Percy. It looked like they were going to swim over to them but Nico pushed Percy onward and gave the nymphs a death glare that sent them shrieking. Cesare and Jason were laughing so hard that they drew curious glances from nearby campers. By the time they took him to look at the cabins he already had a list of things he wanted to do, including a serious itch to climb the lava wall.

"Each cabin is dedicated to a god and that god's children live in them with their siblings, as I'm sure you know," Jason said. They were walking on the Greens, a large area of grass in the center of all the cabins where the campers hung out. It also seemed to be the unofficial Ultimate Frisbee ground.

"So, which cabin would you put me in?" asked Cesare as he looked around. "We didn't think of this, but I'm not a child of any god."

"Your circumstances are special," Jason said smiling. "You get to pick. Poseidon cabin or Hades?"

They went to the Hades cabin first since it was closer. His Dad told him how he'd had it built after his other Dad saved the world and got Olympus to acknowledge Hades and the minor gods. It was made from solid black obsidian walls with a skull over the door and torches that burned with green fire twenty-four hours a day. The inside of the cabin was dark but the walls were decorated with mid-relief depictions of the underworld done in black granite and contrasting white ivory. The floor was made of shiny black marble tiles and covered with shaggy black rugs. Candelabras on the wall used black wax candles that burned with netherworld fire, though these were mostly for show since the cabin was wired for electric lights also.

"I like it," he said to his Dad.

As they walked to Poseidon's cabin he thought he saw a nymph run from cabin two but shrugged it off. Percy led them to the third cabin. It had a giant door with a large bronze trident over it. The outer walls are rough gray stone with pieces of seashell and coral and look like the bottom of the ocean floor. Percy opened the door and Cesare smiled as he looked around. On the inside the walls glowed like they were made from abalone. A breeze blew through the room from nowhere and smelled like salty sea air. There was a fountain in one of the corners too.

"Hey, it's still here," Percy said. He pulled a rectangular piece of wall away and out slid a flat screen tv.

"Oh yeah," Nico said with recognition in his voice. "Good times." He winked at Percy but luckily no one else saw it.

"Sweet!" Cesare whooped and walked over to look at it.

"Where did that come from?" Jason asked in confusion.

"Oh," Percy said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It was a gift for Nico, from Annabeth and Jake, for me…"

Jason gave him a perplexed looked before shaking his head. "I don't even want to know."

"The camp doesn't get satellite," Jason said to Cesare.

"Yeah, it has a built in DVD player though so we'll just bring you some movies," said Nico.

"This is great!" said Cesare beaming.

"I think he's picked his cabin," laughed Jason as Cesare dropped his bags on the nearest bed.

* * *

"I haven't decided yet," he heard Percy say to Jason as he lagged behind them. He wasn't really paying attention to anything but he did notice two girls sitting in the grass on their own. One had blond, pixie cut hair and the other had light brown hair in a ponytail. They were reading magazines but looked bored and kept glancing around like they were watching for something.

Jason stopped on the Green a few yards away from the front door of cabin two.

"What is it?" asked Nico. "Thinking about all the problems Hera caused you?"

"No, this is that big problem I mentioned earlier," Jason said with a sigh as he stared at the building.

Hera's cabin was a more feminine, graceful version of Zeus'. It had slimmer columns with pomegranates and flowers around them. There were images of peacocks craved in the walls and on the doors where Jason was staring.

"Is Hera up to something? Don't tell me she had a demi-god kid!" Percy blurted in shock.

"No, for once, Hera isn't the problem. It's Aphrodite," said Jason.

"What?" They asked in a collective chorus.

Suddenly there was loud bang on the doors in front of them and Cesare saw the bronze rattle. Then they heard an angry voice yell.

"Let me out!"

"Umm Jason?" asked Percy. Jason sighed again and ran a hand through his already messy hair and turned his back to the cabin to face them.

The two bored girls ran over to them with anxious expressions. They both looked to be around Cesare's age.

"It's okay girls," Jason said to them. "These two are former camp Counselors and this is their son, Cesare. He's a new camper and I was just informing them about the situation."

"Okay, but don't get any closer, please," said the girl with the pixie cut. They backed off after that but now he was really curious.

"About the same time as your vacation in Venice started Aphrodite popped up here…with a request," Jason began.

"A request?" repeated Nico.

"Honestly, it sounded more like an order and she seemed a bit nervous."

"I said let me out!" Another bang rattled the doors of Hera's cabin.

"It's a girl," Cesare said dumbly as he stared at the doors.

"Yeah, it's Aphrodite's daughter," said Jason.

"Are you serious?" asked Percy.

"Why is she in there? Why isn't she with Aphrodite's other kids in cabin ten?" asked Nico.

"She's not a demi-god, that's why."

"Dude, you gotta explain this," said Percy.

"I'm trying-"

The banging on the doors increased and Jason looked back and groaned.

"We need to leave. She'll do that all day when someone gets near." Jason ushered them away and explained as they walked.

"Like I said, Aphrodite came here with a request. She wanted us to keep her daughter here for a little while. She didn't explain why but she did have Hera's permission to lock her up in cabin two."

"Okay, that's weird," said Percy, glancing back.

"No, that's not even the weirdest part," said Jason. "You know that Zeus was angry at Hera after the last war."

"Yeah, he blamed her for everything. Said her interpretation of the great prophecy and working behind his back set it all in motion," answered Percy.

"And ever since then, from what Mr. D has hinted at, Hera's basically been under house arrest. Zeus didn't like her getting involved before but now she can't do anything. So, her giving permission to Aphrodite to use her cabin as a jail cell…"

"She either did it behind Zeus' back or got his permission and that spells trouble either way," finished Nico.

"Or Aphrodite was lying when she said she had Hera's permission," said Percy.

"Exactly," said Jason. "That's what I thought but Aphrodite put her in there and nothing's happened. No matter how angry my father is at Hera, he'd never allow her to be insulted. Using her cabin without her permission would be an insult."

"Jeez, what did this girl do?" asked Cesare.

"No idea," said Jason. "We were instructed to leave her locked in there and stay away. Aphrodite mentioned that Apollo did something to help keep the girl contained."

"She's got three gods keeping her locked up? Whatever she did, it must have been bad," Nico said, shaking his head.

"Cabin ten is taking this very seriously. Even Piper. They've been policing the area, keeping curious campers away from the doors. Apparently my wife left standing orders to charmspeak campers away if necessary."

"Does Piper know what her 'sister' did?" asked Percy.

"Not a clue," said Jason flatly. "But she was adamant that those doors stayed shut. The nymphs check on her and report back to Aphrodite as far as I know."

"But she's a goddess?" asked Cesare.

"Yeah, minor goddess, possibly something like a nymph. Good thing too. We can't bring her food, not even nectar and ambrosia because we can't open the doors. A normal girl would have died of starvation by now."

"That's terrible," Cesare said in near disgust. Jason looked sorry but shrugged.

"We don't know what else to do. And Aphrodite didn't have a time frame for how long she was keeping her in there. On top of that, we've got weird reports coming from Camp Jupiter."

"We've only been gone a week and everything was fine," said Cesare.

"Well, Frank is saying one of the Praetors, Stacy, has deserted her post. Blaine Kennedy is running the camp on his own until they find her or appoint a new Praetor. He must be struggling because some of the legionnaires are acting out."

Cesare had no response for that. Was it even his problem anymore? He felt bad for Blaine and shocked that Stacy would just leave. She loved being Praetor.

"Hey, it's time for dinner. You guys are staying here tonight, right?"

"Yeah, just tonight though. We have to start apartment hunting in the city," said Nico.

Cesare followed behind them with guilty thoughts of Blaine churning in his head.


	8. The New Kid

That night at dinner his Dads sat at the head table with Jason and Mr. D –who kept calling Cesare 'Charles'—and he sat at the Hades table alone. The dining pavilion had no walls or roof, but it was on a hill overlooking the sea. Being so close to the water was already one of his favorite things about this camp. The BBQ was great and nymphs carried around trays of fresh fruit but he was already getting glances and hearing whispers. His Dads told him to expect this. He was the new kid at camp and unlike everyone else he didn't have to wait and wonder which god would claim him. Nico told him that sitting at the Hades table was sure to get him noticed and maybe even cause people to avoid him, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't going to lie or hide who he was.

At least he got to see the surprise and disbelief when Jason introduced Percy. His father's heroics had become the stuff of legend told around the campfire at Camp Half-Blood. Jason didn't introduce Nico but Cesare knew his Dad wouldn't want that and probably told Jason not to. When dinner was over everyone headed to the campfire where he sat under the Poseidon banner and he had to resist chuckling at the confused looks he was getting.

His dads joined Jason standing in front of the campers as the Apollo cabin led everyone in a sing-a-long. Jason and Percy sang very loudly and off key while Nico just looked at them with a faint smile on his face. Cesare couldn't help smiling either. The songs were fun, especially 'This Land is Minos's Land,' 'I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa,' and 'Down By the Aegean.' The campfire seemed to like them too. Cesare watched as the fire swelled and turned different colors as they sang.

When it was over and Jason dismissed them for bed he went over to his parents to say goodnight and headed for cabin three. His eyes kept darting to the doors of Hera's cabin. Two nymphs were guarding them while the campers were away and he wondered if they watched over the doors at night as well.

"Hey!" The shout was right behind him and when he turned the girl with the pixie cut hair was walking up beside him.

"So, what do you think of camp?" she asked nicely. Up close he noticed she had really bright brown eyes that stood out against her short blond hair. With her small delicate features, she looked like a model.

"I'm Teresa, by the way."

"Cesare," he said shaking her hand. "It's nice. A lot more chill than Camp Jupiter," he smiled a little and her eyes widened.

"You were at the Roman camp?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it didn't work out too well," said Cesare bashfully.

"You must be happy to be out of there."

"You have no idea. No guard duty, no uniforms, no rankings, or pecking orders. I've died and gone to Olympus."

Teresa laughed. "That's not completely true. Every cabin has a counselor they need to listen to."

"No problem, I'm the counselor and only member of my cabin," he grinned at her.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. You're staying in the Poseidon cabin and sitting at the Hades table?"

"Oh, yep, I knew that would confuse people…"

He stopped walking in the middle of the Green and Teresa stopped with him, waiting for him to explain. They were near the fire that burned in the center of the all the cabins and Cesare saw what looked like a young girl tending the fire. Teresa didn't seem to notice her and neither did any of the other campers who walked right past her as they headed for their respective cabins. She was gone in an instant and Cesare had to resist the urge to run back to his Dads and tell them he'd just seen her.

"Well?" Teresa asked with a little smile.

"Oh, um… Percy Jackson is my Dad, so that makes Poseidon my grandfather." She nodded in understanding at this and he plowed forward. "The other guy with him? That's his husband, Nico di Angelo. He's the son of Hades and also my Dad."

"Wait, so which is your biological Dad?"

"They both are." Her pretty brow wrinkled in confusion and he tried not to laugh.

"My Dad, Percy, did Cupid a favor a long time ago and Aphrodite offered him a favor in return. When he married Nico, they decided to ask Aphrodite for a baby."

An amused smile split her face and Cesare felt himself blushing.

"Are you saying that my mom made you?" she asked with undisguised skepticism.

"Yep," he said simply, rocking back on his heels. He'd been through the 'I was a magical baby' explanation before and the one thing he'd learned was that some people –even in a world of demi-gods and monsters—refused to believe him. That was their problem.

Teresa examined his face, looking for a joke that wasn't there and after a minute she smiled again. "That's pretty cool!"

"Yeah, I think so too," he said grinning, as he relaxed a little.

"Well, we should get inside before the harpies come out," she said.

"Oh, that does happen here, doesn't it?" he asked looking around.

"Yeah, bet Camp Jupiter doesn't have a curfew call like that," she joked.

"And even with that, this place is still less strict." They laughed before Teresa waved good-bye and ran off to cabin ten.

Inside the Poseidon cabin the hippocampi mobile, made by his uncle Tyson, turned in lazy circles and the fountain was slowly lulling him to sleep. If he wasn't the grandson of Poseidon he might have thought it was weird that the sound of water falling into a basin was so comforting to him. The magical sea breeze blowing through the cabin made him breathe deep. He was more relaxed than he had ever been and, without him even noticing, his subconscious mind became more fluid.

* * *

He dreamed he was inside a pristine white room. There were slender columns stretching up to the ceiling and a huge statue in the middle but he couldn't see it very clearly. Giant fans made of splayed peacock feathers hung on the walls. Pedestals around the room either held bowls of pomegranates or crystal vases of flowers. There was a minimal amount of furniture but it was at odds with the room, like it didn't really belong. A big chaise covered in green pillows and silk, a couple of overturned tables, and books that looked like they'd been tossed to the floor. The edges of his view were blurry but he could see two people standing near the doors.

"Mother, please!"

"No."

Someone yelled in frustration and stalked away.

"I am trying to help you, my love," the other one said gently.

"I don't need help, my sisters do!"

"And we are trying to do something about that. You just have to be patient. If you fell into the same trap-"

"All I have to do is get them out and it will fix everything."

"The fact that you think it's so easily solved proves you couldn't possibly win. No one has ever beaten her."

"I'll never forgive you for this!"

"Oh, don't be dramatic, dear. Look, I've brought you some more romance novels. Have you read _Twilight_ yet?"

* * *

The next morning at breakfast he was getting more looks than usual and the glances from the Aphrodite table were the weirdest. They were bright, curious, looks backed up by giggles and whispers. Teresa looked at him with an expression like she was about watch something funny happen. Strangely enough it didn't really trouble him, he had a lot of experience with Venus children and if Aphrodite's kids were anything like that this wouldn't be that bad. Besides, Blaine wasn't here to make him feel guilty for flirting.

His mind started to drift to thoughts about Blaine and whatever was happening at Camp Jupiter but he reminded himself that it wasn't his problem. He sacrificed some of his scrambled eggs and bacon to his grandfathers and sat at the Hades table. Nico and Percy were at the head table again and this time they were watching him closely. Percy looked like he was about to burst out laughing but Nico looked confused and kind of worried. Cesare shook his head and tried to ignore them as he ate. His dream helped distract him. He couldn't remember all of it but he remembered the arguing and wondered if his mind was just making stuff up because he was curious about the girl locked in cabin two.

Breakfast was less structured than dinner and the campers came and went as they pleased. When he was done he waited for Mr. D to disappear before he went over to the head table to see his parents. Nico immediately started fussing over him, telling him it was okay if he wanted to go back to New York with them.

"Nico, when did you become such a mother hen?" asked Jason.

"Yeah, he'll be fine, Nico," said Percy.

"Did you see the way they were looking at him?" Nico asked.

"Cesare, it's kind of gotten out that you're a love baby," Jason said with a grin.

"Well, that was bound to happen," he shrugged. "I'm not worried," he said to Nico.

"Neither am I," said Percy.

"Which is why _I'm_ the mother hen," Nico said, looking weary.

"I'll take care of him," Jason said. "Plus, Piper and Madison are coming back tomorrow. She can get the Aphrodite cabin under control."

"Your Dad is just worried that this and being the grandson of Hades will make it hard on you," said Percy before he downed an entire glass of orange juice.

"I can handle it," he said to Nico as he rose to leave.

"What are you doing today?" asked Jason.

"I was thinking archery."

"I hated archery," Percy groaned.

"That's probably why you were such a terrible shot," Nico said with a smirk.

"You were pretty bad with a bow," confirmed Jason.

Percy simply shrugged. "It's true."

"Good luck with the apartment hunt. Do I get final approval?" Cesare asked as he hugged them good-bye.

"We'll show it to you once we find one," Percy said, ruffling his curls.

* * *

The weather was perfect again today and he was wearing a brand new camp t-shirt that he hoped would help him blend in a little. On his way to the archery range Teresa fell into step next to him. She wasn't wearing an orange shirt like him, but rather a pair of jean shorts and a bright red spaghetti top.

"Sorry," she said sincerely, "everyone was curious about you and my cabin likes to gossip. Look at it this way, now you won't have a bunch of people asking you about it because everyone knows."

"The Aphrodite cabin just did me a public service, right?" he asked in mock gratitude. "Who would have guessed?"

She looked filled with chagrin so he smiled at her. "It's okay. It's not like it's something I'm ashamed of."

"You shouldn't be," she encouraged. "Your Dad is Percy Jackson and you were created by the goddess of love."

"Yep," he shrugged. He didn't feel any different for it but everyone always acted like it was a big deal.

"That's made you very popular with my cabin," she said.

"Really?" he asked, brightening.

"Yeah, so I thought I could be your wingwoman at least for today," she said.

"I need a wingwoman?" he asked, feeling entertained.

"Absolutely," she said confidently as she waved to two satyrs who walked past them carrying crates of strawberries. "How else will you know which girls are worth the effort? Pairing up couples is my cabin's specialty," Her tone was so haughty that he couldn't help but grin.

"Can you tell me which guys are worth the effort too?"

"You're interested in both?" she asked, sounding mildly surprised.

"I'm an equal opportunity kind of guy."

"That's the Aphrodite spirit!" she cheered as they joined the group at the archery range.

Archery was fun but he discovered pretty quickly that he was only an okay shot. Normally, he would have given up after discovering this and moved on to to something else but he was sizing up the guy running the range. A cute blond named Jeremy. Teresa caught him looking and started giggling.

"What?" he asked.

"You don't waste any time do you?" she asked as she aimed her arrow.

"You were the one who said I'd need a wingman today. I thought getting started immediately was the idea?"

"_Wingwoman_," she corrected. "And as your wingwoman let me inform you that Jeremy Matthews is a son of Apollo, so you're definitely on the right track. But, unfortunately he's already dating some Demeter girl named Alice."

Cesare dismissed it with a shrug. "I'm fine with just looking."

After archery Teresa pulled him into a volleyball game and when they weren't playing they sat on the ground on the sidelines as she pointed out details about everyone.

"Kate Whitmore, daughter of Athena," she said, nodding at a blonde girl on the court. "She might be a good choice but Athena kids are kind of a bunch of know-it-alls."

"I like smart girls," said Cesare as he leaned back on his elbows and watched Kate spike the ball over the net.

"We'll put her in the maybe pile," Teresa said in a business like tone.

"There are piles?" he asked, laughing.

After lunch they sat on the Green with Teresa's half-brother Andrew who was on look-out duty for cabin two. He was a year younger than Cesare with a slight build, short dark hair, and big blue eyes. He was also straight, Teresa pointed out with no shame or attempt at tact.

"So tell us about Camp Jupiter," said Andrew.

"Yeah, you said it didn't work out there. Can you talk about it?" asked Teresa as she filed her nails.

"Is this going to be become public knowledge too?" asked Cesare.

"I won't tell," said Andrew.

"I make no promises," Teresa said flatly.

"Ressa," Andrew chided.

"What?" she asked innocently. Andrew glared at her and she put the file down with a sigh. "Fine. I won't tell if you ask me not to but people are curious about you."

"It's true," confirmed Andrew. "You're new and kind of mysterious."

"Mysterious?" Cesare arched his eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, you live in the Poseidon cabin, sit at the Hades table, your Dad is Percy Jackson, you're Greek but you've live at Camp Jupiter. All that makes you a welcome distraction from whatever is going on in cabin two," Andrew said, thumbing him in the direction of the bronze doors.

"So, you guys really don't know what she did?" he asked, ignoring the rundown list of why he was so mysterious.

"No," said Teresa.

"And our mother only spoke to Piper about it but she was clear that those doors need to stay closed. It was really annoying at first, everyone was so curious and we'd catch people poking around all the time but we have a good relationship with the Aries cabin and they helped us scare them off," Andrew explained.

"What if she didn't do anything?" Cesare asked as he thought about his dream. "What if Aphrodite has her locked up for another reason?"

"Like what?" asked Teresa.

"To keep her from doing something, maybe," he said shrugging

"Either way, she's in there," said Andrew.

"And we'll probably never know why, which is why Cesare will have to entertain us with stories of his life," she said happily.

"There's really nothing to tell," he said casually.

"You said it was strict there. How bad was it?" asked Teresa.

"There are just a lot of rules," he said, groping for the right words. "There's no room for error. It's like a camp full of Type-A control freaks. Everything is about discipline and military prowess."

"Sounds bad," Andrew said sounding sympathetic.

"They have so much stuff there, like in New Rome, but you can't really enjoy it until you muster out after your ten years of service."

"I've heard there's cool stuff there like coffee shops and stores but ten years of service?" Teresa just shook her head.

"So is that why you left?" asked Andrew.

"Pretty much," Cesare sighed. "It didn't help that I was the grandchild of the two bad luck gods."

"I don't-" Teresa suddenly went silent and the expression on her face contorted in annoyance. She was looking over his shoulder and when Cesare turned he saw two kids sneaking over to cabin two.

"Sorry, we gotta go handle this," muttered Teresa.

She and Andrew got up and jogged off in the direction of Hera's cabin. Cesare was about to follow but when he stood up a chill went down his spine. He didn't know why but he needed to go to cabin thirteen. It was almost like an invisible rope pulling him toward the black building. Looking back on it later, he wouldn't even remember the walk to the door.

Inside someone was waiting for him. He was tall and imposing with black robes that blended in with the darkness inside the cabin. He had shoulder-length black hair and bangs that framed his eyes, which glittered like frozen tar. His skin was so white that snow would probably look dark compared to him. Cesare had often imagined what it would be like to meet his grandfathers, but nothing could have prepared him for this. He shut the door and walked forward to kneel down in front of the god.

"I have wanted to meet you for some time." His voice was oily and the energy of his aura was intense, but Cesare was determined to make a good impression.

"I've wanted to meet you for a long time as well, grandfather."

"You look more like Jackson." He had no idea how to respond to that so he stayed silent.

"You sit at my table but you don't live in this cabin." It was a statement but he could feel disapproval in the air. Cesare stood and faced his grandfather.

"I try to honor bother you and Poseidon," he said. Hades scoffed but moved on.

"I know you have the sword. How did you come by it?"

A chill ran up Cesare's spine but he did his best to remain calm. "I-it was in Venice. Favonius said Cupid wanted me to have it."

"Indeed," Hades said with a sneer. "And you believed him?"

"I had no reason not to," he said, taken aback.

"Someone wanted you to have the sword but it wasn't Cupid. I don't suppose it matters since you'll never be able to master it."

"Can you tell me anything? Who is the boy I keep seeing?" He asked, even though Hades had just knocked the wind out of his sails.

"You would know the answers to those questions already if you weren't so busy denying who you are."

"I'm not-"

"You've never tested the limits of your powers. You've only ever used them to pull pranks. You're barely scratching the surface and I assume it's because you're afraid of what you'll find beneath."

Hades looked at him like he was waiting for Cesare to make an attempt at denial but his grandson said nothing.

"I came to tell you to give up the sword. It will kill you if you don't take it seriously."

"And if I wanted to take it seriously?" he asked. "How would I master it?"

Hades stared at him for a few second before shrugging. "You could try bringing the sword in here where you'd be able to boost your connection with the underworld. Then try to connect with the spirit attached to the sword, but it may still kill you," The god's voice was dismissive.

"Thank you," Cesare said.

"If you die, Nico will be devastated. And I will not be able to help you when you are sent to judgement. You've performed no heroic deeds and will most likely end up wandering the fields of Asphodel. It would be wiser to give it up. If you change your mind, leave the sword in this cabin."

Hades disappeared, fading into the darkness of the cabin until he was gone. The dinner gong rang and he knew he had to get back to his cabin for inspection, but he'd already made his decision.


	9. Sirens and Ghosts Part 1

After dinner Teresa said it was the Davis twins who had been trying to get into cabin two and she had to usher them to the big house to face Jason's wrath. She apologized for ditching him, thinking he was left alone. Luckily, she never made it back before the dinner gong to see him wander into the cabin thirteen. He was anxious for the rest of the evening and didn't even attempt to sing along at the campfire. He thought he knew what he needed to do, but the closer it got to lights-out the less confident he became. Was it really worth it? Right now it was just simple curiosity that even had him considering touching the sword again. He didn't need this sword. There was a whole armory at camp and Jason had offered to help him pick out a new sword whenever he was ready to resume training. On top of that, Hades didn't believe it was Cupid who wanted him to master it. So, now there was some weird conspiracy he didn't want anything to do with.

He threw a quick goodnight at Teresa after the Sing-a-long was over and tried not to look suspicious. He spent the next hour pacing and when lights-out finally sounded he paced in the dark. He just couldn't make a decision. Part of him knew it was his pride eating at him. It took jagged little bites out of his ego every time he remembered how Hades had dismissed him –flippantly declaring that he would never master the sword. And no, he didn't have any heroic deeds to his name so the Elysian Fields were a distant dream, but was he ever going to get there without taking any risks?

The other part of him tried to be reasonable, to remind him of how betrayed and shattered his Dads would feel if he failed and died. They didn't even know he had the sword. It would come as a complete shock to them. And after everything they've done for him. Death wouldn't save him from seeing it either, not with the son of Hades as his father. He could already picture Nico summoning his soul just so he and Percy could scream at him.

He heard the wind pick up outside and knew it was time for the Harpies. Cesare threw himself onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow. He missed all his friends he'd left at Camp Jupiter, even Blaine, because at least they could tell him he was being stupid. He didn't know if Blaine would encourage him to do this or not but at least he could bounce the idea off of him. He turned his face toward the opposite wall where the other set of bunk beds were. They didn't even have sheets. When his Dad was here, he had Cesare's uncle Tyson as a cabin mate for a little while. But as the only grandchild of Poseidon and Hades, Cesare was all alone.

"Nobody to talk to," he muttered and reburied his face.

He had resigned himself to putting off the decision until tomorrow and was about to roll over when the cabin started getting brighter. He could see light through his eyelids and when he opened them he saw the fountain in the corner glowing brighter and brighter.

"What the…"

He got up and walked over to it slowly. Usually the mist from the water only made a rainbow during the day but the extra light from the abalone was causing one now. He plucked a coin from the basin and flicked it into the tiny rainbow.

"Hello?" he asked tentatively.

"Hello?" someone answered back. The image was just as small as the rainbow and for a moment he thought he wouldn't be able to see anything until a pair of bright, teal-colored eyes came into focus.

"Who's there?" Her voice caught him off guard. It was sweet but strong and made him stammer when he tried to answer.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

"C-Cesare," he said stupidly.

"Cesare?" she repeated it like she was tasting his name on her tongue. "And where are you, Cesare?"

"Umm…Camp Half-Blood?"

Her eyes got wider and the excitement in them looked faintly dangerous. "You're at Camp Half-Blood right now? You're a demi-god?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered vaguely. There wasn't a Greek equivalent of a "legacy" so he shrugged and went with demi-god.

"Who is your godly parent?"

"Well, technically…I don't have a godly parent," he said hesitantly. Her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

"But you said you're a demi-god living at Camp Half-Blood."

"I am, kind of. My parents are both demi-gods and I guess I'm just as strong as a demi-god, but I'm a grand-demi-god or something." He really did hate the 'I'm a magical baby' conversation and it didn't get easier to explain not matter how many times he did it.

"How is it possible that you're just as strong? Who are your parents?" she demanded.

"Nico di Angelo and Percy Jackson."

The annoyance in her gaze was replaced by surprise.

"Perseus Jackson?" she asked. "Son of Poseidon?" He nodded in confirmation.

"And your other parent is the son of Hades?"

"Yeah, my Dad did Cupid a-"

"Aphrodite made you," she said cutting him off. He could see that she was very excited now and he was about to ask her why it mattered when she cut him off again.

"Can you get to Hera's cabin?"

"Why?" he asked. "No one can go near there."

"Please? I just need you to open the doors!"

"No! Are you kidding?"

She yelled in frustration, blurring the image, and hearing her sweet voice in that furious tone jogged his memory. She sounded just like the voice screaming from inside the cabin two doors.

"Who are you?" he asked urgently. "Are you the girl locked inside Hera's cabin?"

"Yes! And I want out now!" she shouted causing the abalone to shudder in the fountain. "Please," she said a little more calmly. "I need to get out."

"Who are you?" Cesare asked again.

"I'm Teles," she said as her eyes came back into focus, "Queen of the Sirens."

* * *

"What?"

His tone was heavy with an amount of indignation that was only possible after hearing something incredibly unbelievable.

"Great," said Teles sarcastically, "he can't hear now either. I said my name is Teles and I am Queen of the-"

"The sirens don't have a queen," Cesare said.

"They do as of fifty years ago when I was born," she said matter-of-factly.

"So your mother is Aphrodite and your father is…"

"The river god Achelous. He's also the father of the other sirens, my sisters." Cesare had just enough good sense not to point out that her father was a talking bull-man but he couldn't resist asking, "Piper's your sister too, right? She has a cornucopia-"

"Yes," Teles said tensely. "She cut off my father's one remaining horn. I refuse to speak to her."

"Okay," Cesare said, backing away from the touchy subject. "Why did your mom lock you up?"

"No more small talk," she said. "Can you get me out of here?"

Her eyes were beautiful and beseeching and he wanted to tell her yes, he knew she'd been locked up for days, but he couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Teles, but I can't. I'd probably be kicked out of camp and that can't happen. Anyway, Aphrodite said she'd be keeping an eye on me so she would probably know."

There was a moment when he saw her eyes gloss over with tears and then the Iris message ended.

* * *

"So how long are you here?"

"I start back at school in the city, this fall," said Madison. At fourteen, Madison was already displaying some very Jupiter-like leadership skills. She wasn't a year-round camper since Piper wanted her to have a normal childhood, but it was easier on her since she didn't give off a strong smell to monsters. That's what it was like for any normal children of demi-gods. They could blend in with mortals more easily, and Cesare often wished he wasn't so "special" so he could be one of them.

Madison was serious for fourteen and people listened to her. He couldn't tell if that was her Jupiter blood or if she possessed a mild form of her mother's charmspeak. She looked more like Piper, with the same tanned skin and brown hair. Her eyes were hazel and like her mom she chose not to make a big deal about her looks and dressed down. Today she was wearing a ratty pair of jeans with her camp t-shirt and her hair was in a ponytail.

That morning he'd hugged Piper and answered all her questions about how he was doing at camp so far. The whole time Cesare was bursting to ask Piper about Teles but he didn't. It would only cause trouble because he couldn't explain how the fountain had done what it did. So, once again he found himself lying by omission. He hated it but honestly couldn't see any good in telling anyone. His troubles with the sword nagged at him too but they were drowned out by the memory Teles's eyes floating in front of him and the sound of her voice.

"Hey, did you hear me?" asked Madison.

"Sorry," Cesare said, trying to sound innocent. "I must have spaced out. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to sword practice? My Dad is about to start teaching," she said pointing at the sword area.

Indeed, Jason was there with a group of campers, passing out armor, shields, and practice swords.

"Yeah," said Cesare. "I actually haven't had a lesson here yet."

They went to the arena and suited up in helmets, breast plates, and greaves. Cesare was given an ordinary bronze sword that had been dulled to reduce the risk of serious injury, though he questioned the judgement of this when he knew kids in the Hephaestus cabin were making real live flame throwers. Jason paired him up with Sam, a son of Ares, who sneered at him immediately. He was Cesare's height but whereas Cesare musculature was lean, Sam was slightly bulky. He had muddy brown hair cut short and a permanent sour look on his face.

"Sam, this is Cesare. He was trained at Camp Jupiter so his skills might be a bit too much for others."

"Hmph, that Roman style won't get you far here," Sam said with contempt.

"That's fine. My Dads are Greek so I know both styles," he responded lightly.

"Excellent," Jason said. He gave Cesare a weird look before he walked away.

"Woo! Go, Cesare!"

He whipped his head around and there was Teresa sitting in the stands surrounded by girls that he could only assume were her half-sisters from cabin ten. They were all staring at him and erupting into giggles every time he looked at one of them. Honestly, it was kind of terrifying, he felt like an exhibit at a zoo. He tried to ignore them and focus on his partner but this unwanted attention seemed to make Sam hate him more.

"Did your groupies come to watch you eat dirt?" he asked.

"Not my idea, trust me," he said.

Before Sam could respond, Jason called the class to attention and showed them some simple blocking techniques that he then had them try out. Sam's hits were harder than necessary but Cesare didn't let it bother him. He could tell Sam was trying to make him mad and he wouldn't give in. His emotions triggered his powers when he got too upset so it was better to hold them in.

When it was time for individual sparring two people would fight in front of the class with Jason calling out tips. The first three partners were fairly basic in skill. Cesare imagined he could have taken all six of them at once and still won. The next two groups were better but not by much.

When it was time for him and Sam to go up, Teresa's group let out a cheer. He tried not to laugh but he couldn't help a little chuckle when Teresa gave him a-double-thumbs-up. Sam looked so heated that Cesare imagined he could see steam rising from the other boy's ears when they squared off. Jason signaled the start by yelling "spar!" and Sam came at him, thudding across the ground like a JV football player. Cesare raised his shield and blocked the first hit. The force jarred his arm almost to the shoulder. When Sam swung again Cesare used his shield to knock the sword away and attacked.

The noise of fighting all but drowned out whatever Jason was saying to them. Cesare had stopped trying to listen, more interested in finding the openings in Sam's defense. The son of Ares was strong but slow and he was getting angrier by the second. He must have expected the fight to be over by now and the fact he hadn't managed to land a single hit on Cesare was royally pissing him off. He swung again and again and Cesare stopped wasting his strength on blocking the heavy blows. He was faster and it was easier to dodge. Finally, he'd had enough dancing around and hit Sam with his shield faster than the other boy could notice. Cesare aimed at Sam's shield but the hit still knocked him down flat on his back and when he opened his eyes Cesare was standing over with his sword tip pointed right at his nose.

"Okay, guys enough, enough," Jason said when he jogged over to stop them.

Cesare backed away and lowered his sword. Sam got to his feet, chest heaving and glaring at Cesare like he wanted to send him straight to Tartarus. Jason ended the lesson and Teresa came down the steps with her entourage as he was stripping off pieces of armor.

"You look hot like this," she said, grinning as he swept his wet curls away from his face. "A little stinky but hot."

"Thanks," he said as the girls around her giggled. He looked around for help and spotted Madison collecting armor with Jason. She looked at him with an expression that clearly said, I can't help you, and went back to helping her Dad.

"This is Kylie," Teresa said, drawing his attention back. She was pointing to one of the girls and Cesare recognized her from his first day. She was the one sitting on the Green with Teresa when Jason told him and his Dads about cabin two.

"This Marie," she said pointing to another who was really working the smoky-eye make-up thing and he doubted that those long eyelashes were real.

"And this is Clare," she said pointing at a redhead. Clare had one of those cute upturned noses and a sprinkle of freckles across it and her cheeks. These three looked to be the same age as him and Teresa. The other three girls were younger and kind of stared at him like he was a One Direction poster. It felt like being cornered by a cheerleading squad. He said hi to all of them and Teresa was about to say something else when Kate walked up and interrupted her.

"Your technique is very good," she said. Her blonde hair was in a French braid over her shoulder and she didn't spare the Aphrodite's daughters so much as a glance.

"Thank you," he said.

"If you ever need to talk just find me."

"Talk?" he asked, confused.

"About math equations, probably," said Marie, crossing her arms.

"Athena is a virgin goddess," said Kate, ignoring Marie completely. "Her children are born from the inspiration she feels when she meets a man worthy of her."

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "Annabeth never mentioned that!"

"Oh yeah," Kate said happily, "I forgot your Dad, Percy, used to date her when they were at camp! Their quests are legendary."

"They still talk and she sends me a present every year on my birthday. She never mentioned that Athena kids were born like that."

"Yeah, I know your situation is similar so if you ever want to talk the whole Athena cabin can relate."

"I was going to go back to my cabin to shower before dinner, you wanna walk with me?" he asked.

"Sure," Kate said smiling.

"I'll see you later, Teresa," he said quickly. He could feel the other girls brooding and tried to walk away quickly.

Kate was nice and as it turned out he really could relate to her. She told him how other kids at camp stared whenever they found out how Athena had kids and how she always got asked if she had a bellybutton. She was a literal brainchild so it stood to reason that she shouldn't have a bellybutton, but of course she did. It was nice to talk to someone who got it, the whole magic birth thing, too bad it was all they had in common. They talked about the differences between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, and how Kate wanted to go see the other camp one day, but they had no real interests in common. Kate wasn't into video games or _Doctor Who_ and Cesare knew nothing about Astro Physics, so he wasn't sure they would have many more conversations in the future.

Inside cabin three he showered and spent a few hours staring at the duffle bag shoved under his bed. He still had a choice to make. Maybe it was time to tell his parents? Maybe this was too much for him? Gambling everything to master some sword sounded stupid once you thought about it for a while. The Dinner gong rang and he decided he could dwell on it while he ate a whole plate of BBQ. Teresa caught him before he entered the Dining Pavilion and had to separate to their different tables. She jumped in his path and blocked him from going in.

"How did it go with Kate?" she asked. She looked like she was dying to say something but waited for him to answer.

"She's a good listener but probably not my type," he said, trying to move around her.

"Oh! That's a shame," she said blocking him again. "I thought her personality would suit you. Kylie, Marie, and Clare will be thrilled."

"Yeah, I'm not sure they're my type either. I mean, Clare's cute but-"

"Oh I agree!" she laughed and then her face froze. "You think Clare is cute?"

"She is but I don't think that's enough-"

"It isn't," Teresa agreed. "We need to find someone you're comfortable with and you're such a little introvert-"

"Teresa, I gotta tell you that I'm so hungry right now that you just look like a talking steak."

"Oh, sorry," she said, moving aside. "I guess that workout left you hungry. You dominated by the way. I've never seen anyone beat Sam so easily." Her expression was gleeful as they walked in, slowly making their way to the BBQ line.

"Maybe we shouldn't say that so loud," Cesare said, as he glanced at the Ares table and saw Sam glaring at him.

"Oh the whole camp is talking about it," Teresa said happily.

"Of course they are," he said sarcastically and eyeing her. "I'm sure he and I will be best friends now."

"Forget him," she said, waving dismissively. "He's always been a sore loser that's why I dumped him."

"You dated him?"

"Momentary lapse in judgement. He was just too intense about everything."

"I can see that," he said flatly.

"I need someone with more chill. Chill is sexy. Well, I gotta go. I can feel my table staring. They're waiting for an update."

"Teresa, I don't want Kate's feelings to get hurt," he said seriously.

"No worries, I'll just tell them you're still on the market and didn't give details," she said sincerely before walking away.

* * *

Cesare was poking around the fountain in the corner, trying to figure it out. The water burbled into the basin and its glow was normal, but not enough to make a rainbow. He didn't know how to make it turn on, which had to be the wrong expression for a magical fountain –especially since he'd looked all over it for an on/off switch and found none-but that's what it had done the other night, it turned on by itself.

"Work," he ordered it, "please?" and he instantly felt stupid. But, against all reason, the fountain started to glow brighter. A faint rainbow appeared and he snatched a _drachma_ from the basin and tossed it into the rainbow quickly.

"Teles?" he called out uncertainly.

"You again?" her voice floated back to him, making his stomach flip-flop. He didn't even care that she sounded annoyed again.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her teal eyes were still the only thing he could see. The rainbow made by the glow of the fountain was small so he supposed it was the best he could hope for at night.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay. You looked upset the last time," he said gently.

"Of course I was upset! I'm still upset because I'm still here!" she thundered.

"And I'm sorry about that, I really am, but I can't let you out. Didn't Apollo do something to the cabin anyway?" he asked. Teles made a disgusted noise.

"My mother had him charm this place so the sound of my singing can't escape. I would have been out long ago if he hadn't."

"Oh, that was smart," he said without thinking.

"Yes, it was very smart," she sneered. "Thank you for reminding me how very clever my captors are."

"Okay, I'll just- I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone," he stammered.

"Wait," she called out before he could wipe his hand through the mist. "I've been stuck in here for over a week. You could at least tell me what's happening outside. The nymphs wont, they're too scared of my mother."

"Uh well, I haven't been here long but-"

"Where were you before?" she asked.

"Venice, Italy…technically."

"Venice?" she asked with surprised interest. "The city of water? I've always wanted to go there."

"It's beautiful," he said honestly.

"I doubt I'll ever know for myself," she said sadly.

"I'm sure your mom won't keep you locked up in there forever."

"Tell me about Venice," she said, ignoring his last comment.

Cesare told her about the hotel, the Doge's Palace, Saint Mark's Basilica and all the gold mosaics. He went on about the food and even got her to laugh when he told her about Percy eating so much and making himself sick, and about how Nico insisted they all ride a gondola underneath the Bridge of Sighs on their last day there–because legend has it that if you pass under the bridge with someone you love, you'll be together for eternity.

Then before he knew it he was spilling everything about Favonius, the sword, and his visit from Hades.

"You have to do it," she said instantly.

"I do?"

"Yes, you have to do it or you'll never stop wondering if you should have. It's a chance to prove yourself, you heroes live for this. Do you think the Lord of the Underworld pops up to give advice to all his children? Or grandchildren?"

"I guess not."

"You'll never give it up," she said certainly. "You'll never admit defeat that way and you know it. So, you might as well stop pacing back and forth and do it." Her eyes bored into him and he felt his stomach do another summersault.

"Or are you a coward, Cesare Jackson?"


	10. Sirens and Ghosts Part 2

He tapped his foot all through the campfire singing, wanting it to be over quickly. Even when it ended he had to wait for the rest of the camp to fall asleep and for the harpies to make their nightly sweep before he could sneak off to the Hades cabin with the sword stuck through his belt.

Once outside he wrapped himself in shadows and tried to move quickly. He'd never been able to hold the darkness in place long before the shadows started quiver and fall away. He felt a pang of embarrassment because Hades was right. He'd never pushed his powers enough. It didn't help that one look at cabin two got him very distracted. They must have thought the threat of the harpies was enough because there was no one guarding Hera's bronze doors. All those years at Camp Jupiter told him what a serious lapse in security that was, but he couldn't get distracted thinking about her now.

The bright spot of Artemis' cabin drew the eye. It shone like the moon itself was casting a spotlight on it. The good thing about it was that it cast a large shadow for him to pull from. He made it inside the obsidian door before the shadows dropped and sighed in relief. It was just as dark as ever inside the cabin. The few points of light made by the ghostly flames of the candles were no help at all. But since no one was living in the cabin it was bare of clutter so he didn't worry about tripping over anything. Pulling the sword out as he walked to the center of the room he wondered what was supposed to happen now.

He hadn't drawn the sword in over a week because of how vivid the visions were becoming but maybe that's what Hades meant by him not taking it seriously enough. He'd been stumbling into this like an idiot. He didn't feel scared this time, despite Hades' warning. The darkness of the cabin settled around him like a blanket and he felt eased. His father built this cabin and nothing could hurt him here. After all he was a child of the Underworld too. So, he pulled the sword from the scabbard.

How could he not have felt this before? It was like something was trying to pull him into the sword. He was able to resist this time. He held the blade up and saw those dark, angry eyes again, but he wasn't intimidated.

"Stop!" he ordered. His voice was clear and strong and the tugging ceased. The eyes remained and he faced them.

"Who are you?" he asked. His question was met with stony silence.

"Tell me," he said firmly.

The glow from the candles increased and something like mist spilled from the sword. It gathered in front of him and started to take the shape of a man. It was the boy from the visions. He appeared in front of Cesare in a ghost-like image. It looked he was in his mid-20s and clad in Roman armor.

"Who are you?" Cesare asked again.

"My name was Marcus Antonius, general, Triumvir, and scorned son of Hades."

Cesare was speechless. The ghost of Marc Antony was standing in front of him. All this time he'd been seeing flashes from the life of one of history's most legendary figures.

"T-this is your sword? You were a son of Hades?" he asked, amazed.

"Yes," the ghost said simply.

"What happened to you? Tell me the reason why you're haunting this sword."

Cesare could feel the will of Marc Antony pushing against him. It buffeted him like a strong wind. He tightened his grip on the sword and tried a different approach.

"General, my name is Cesare Jackson and I'm the grandson of Hades. That means you are my uncle and I'm asking you for answers."

"You are the grandson of Hades?" asked the ghost. "But you carry yourself like a legionnaire." Marcus looked him up and down appraisingly.

"I was raised at Camp Jupiter. It's a haven for Roman demi-gods, but I left and came to Camp Half-Blood, where the Greek demi-gods live."

"Ah," the general said in understanding. "Then we are truly alike. You must learn from my mistakes. The Romans enslaved and used our people. They killed Greek demi-gods whenever they found them, forcing them into hiding!"

"Just tell me what happened," Cesare said, calmly.

"My death was the result of my own failure to bring down that brat Octavian and take revenge on Rome for what it did to my people." If it was possible his eyes grew even angrier and his fists clenched at his sides. His anger pushed at Cesare like it was trying to overwhelm him. Cesare used his aura to push back.

"Calm down," he ordered. "Your people?" asked Cesare. He tried to get the ghost back on track. "The Romans were your people."

"I thought so too until I met my father and he told me the truth."

"Hades claimed you?"

"Yes, during my time in Athens, which meant I was _Graecus_."

"I think you'd better tell me everything," said Cesare slowly, trying to come to grips with what he'd just heard.

"I was born in Rome and believed I was one of them. I was careless as a young man and amassed a considerable debt."

"The gambling?" asked Cesare.

"Yes."

"Who was the other boy? The blond you were with?" he asked.

The anger in Marc Antony's eyes softened just a bit before hardening again.

"Gaius Scribonius Curio." It was obvious that the emotions he felt when he was alive were still controlling him and he was reluctant to speak about it, but Cesare needed answers. He was breaking curfew and had no idea if the harpies would make another sweep.

"General?"

The air around him rippled and suddenly Cesare was in another vision of ancient Rome but Marc Antony stood beside him.

"Gaius and I had an affair," he said frankly as he watched his younger self and Gaius walk into a gambling house. "But the rules of Roman society dictate that such affections must end when you come of age. Ours did not. We did our best to keep it a secret."

Scenes flashed in front him like pictures from a projector, all of them of Marcus and Gaius during their young relationship.

"The relationship didn't end until I realized that my debts would put me in _Nexum_."

_Nexum_ was the Roman system of debt slavery. If you couldn't pay what you owed in ancient Rome then you ended up in servitude, during which you had few rights. You had no control over the work you would be forced to or how long you'd have to do it. Growing up at Camp Jupiter, Cesare was forced to learn all of this so he knew this part of the story.

"You left didn't you?" he recalled.

"Yes," said Marcus. The scene of him walking to the Acropolis of Athens replayed. "I was forced to leave him and when I returned we both had to marry. Marriages were just alliances in Roman, meant to make you look like an upstanding citizen and create political connections."

"Sometimes I would see them," he continued, clenching his fists. "Gaius and his _wife_."

"But, yes, I escaped to Greece. I felt peace while I was there," he said gently. "The kind of peace Gaius was only able to give me for our short time together. It was my home. I met my father, Hades, and had a celestial bronze sword made to look like a _Gladius_ so I could hide it."

Cesare looked down at the sword in his hand.

"It was by my side always to remind me of who I really was because I had to go back if only to erase my debt. My military career with legion started when I joined the staff of Aulus Gabinius as chief of his Calvary."

Cesare recognized the next scene as it flashed in front of him. It was the battle from the last time he'd touched the sword.

"My powers reached their peak during this battle," he said as they watched the ground crack around Antony. The shadows gained enough substance to snake through the grass like tentacles and snatch the enemy troops down into the depths.

"Luckily, the few of my men who saw were loyal and the rest simply thought I was a soldier blessed by the gods. Gaius Julius Caesar heard of my exploits and I was taken into his service. Somehow he was able to guess my secret but didn't condemn me for it. He took it as proof that Greek demi-gods could be loyal and useful to the Republic."

Cesare saw images of Caesar and Marcus talking as they walked through Rome. Then he saw something surprising, Caesar and Marcus in Egypt. They were in the palace meeting the royal family. One of the girls was especially fixated on the Romans. She had almond shaped dark eyes lined with kohl and dusky skin.

"Is that…?" he broke off and looked at Antony.

"Princess Cleopatra," said Antony, "the future Queen of Egypt. It was the first time I met her and though I didn't know it then, she was actually the daughter of Aphrodite."

Cesare stared at the young girl. It was so weird to think Queen Cleopatra was the half-sister of Piper and Teresa. And Teles… The images flickered again, showing the Roman mob amassed around a great funeral pyre. They were in an uproar.

"After Caesar's death I had a choice to make," said Antony, watching his own life like a movie. "He was a true friend to me and promised to make my cause his own. When the traitors killed him I could have let those dreams die with him but I chose to take control."

Cesare watched the mob marched through Rome shouting and drawing more citizens into its fold.

"In my funeral oration I turned the people against the traitors, making me the only logical choice to fill the gap Caesar had left. But…"

Cesare's attention was drawn back to the ghost at his side. Anger rippled off of Marc Antony as the image showed a young man with bright eyes and curling dark blond hair. Cesare supposed he was handsome but in a way that was trying too hard.

"Caesar named his grandnephew as his heir," Antony seethed.

"That's Octavian?" asked Cesare in shock.

"Yes. I was defeated by him but thought maybe…if Caesar chose him then maybe he was not what I thought. So, when he approached me with the offer, I agreed. Octavian, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and I formed an alliance."

"The Second Triumvirate," Cesare answered. Antony looked at him in confusion.

"Is that what history calls it? Pompous," he said with contempt. "It was nothing but a ruse. Octavian sought to control us both in order to consolidate his power. He claimed to be the son of Jupiter and that he was a legacy of Venus. He believed he was born to be Emperor."

Cesare decided not to inform Antony that Octavian did become the first Emperor of Rome and later changed his name to _Augustus_. It would only make him more furious.

"He got rid of Lepidus first and I knew he'd turn on me next."

The scene changed to Egypt and a now adult Cleopatra.

"I married his sister, Octavia, for the alliance but my heart belonged elsewhere," Antony said, gazing at Cleopatra as if he wanted nothing more than to pull her from the image and have her in his arms again.

"It didn't bother you that she was with Caesar first?" Cesare asked his uncle.

"That was for politics. Her brother sent her into exile and could have had her killed. I did not blame her for doing what she had to do to survive and reclaim her crown. And I had nothing against the boy, Caesarion."

Scenes of a young boy playing flashed. Cesare couldn't believe he was seeing the son of Caesar. Octavian had him killed after Cleopatra's death and there were no accounts of what he'd looked like.

"I'd lost Gaius thanks to the rules of Roman society," Antony growled, his anger vibrating off of him again, "but I would not give her up. Hades warned me."

Cesare looked at him again at the mention of his grandfather.

"Hades warned me that she would cause my doom and I did not care then. But he was right. Octavian used my love for her to turn the people against me. The Senate declared war on her in order to force me to choose a side. I chose her."

Antony looked at him with rage in his eyes.

"Rome took everything from me. I tried, I tried to live by its laws but I built differently. Do you know this feeling?" he asked.

"Yes." Cesare looked at the ghost and saw the same anger he'd felt the day Stacy and Blaine ruled against him traveling to Venice. He saw every rule he'd broken and felt the sting of his tattoo. That feeling of not fitting it and not measuring up is all he'd felt at Camp Jupiter.

"Then finish what I started," implored Antony. "With my knowledge you could bring the Romans to their knees and finally a Greek would rule over them."

"No," said Cesare, looking at him with pity. Antony's fury was quick.

"You call yourself a Greek?" he bellowed. The images of his life were gone. They were back in the Hades cabin and this time Cesare could feel Antony's will pulsating through the sword. It was pulling at him again.

"Rome should pay for what it's done! You understand? You were forced to flee too!"

"I don't blame Camp Jupiter," Cesare said calmly. He was concentrating, trying to push back against Antony.

"Traitor!" the ghost hissed.

"Do you know what your problem is, Uncle?" Cesare asked, gritting his teeth with effort. "You held a grudge."

Antony looked at him in confusion and Cesare took the chance to push harder. He felt the pulling from the sword ease.

"Holding grudges is a fatal flaw for children of Hades. That's what killed you. You hated Octavian from the beginning and set yourself up to fail with Cleopatra. I'm not making that mistake. I will not hold a grudge against the Romans!" Cesare raised the sword and pointed it at Antony.

"Go," he ordered. "It's time for you to go face your judgement…and your mistakes."

He didn't know how he knew what to do. Maybe it was instinct. Cesare stabbed the floor of the cabin with the sword and a fissure opened up. Antony didn't fight against it when he was pulled into the Underworld. He looked resigned to his fate but Cesare couldn't let him go like that.

"Maybe you'll see her again!" he shouted over the noise and wind. "And Gaius too!"

Antony closed his eyes and real smile appeared on his face as he disappeared into the cabin floor. The fissure sealed up neatly, like nothing had happened. Cesare was left sitting, splay legged, on the floor with the sword in his hands.


	11. Dark Water

Terminus had seen many disasters over the centuries and many threats to the Roman Empire. Barbarian hoards and savage forces from the untamed world beyond their gates. Rome marched out its armies and faced these primitive misfits and won. The superiority of the Romans lay in their discipline and, as the god of boundaries, he truly believed that. Discipline was the key to maintaining rules and order. And when Rome fell all those years ago, it was like watching a child die. It had always been his belief that the fall started on the inside. Rome lost its discipline, the sharp edge with which it defended itself, and the core of the empire began to rot like a bad apple. People stopped worshiping the gods, the rules were flouted or abolished all together. The line of Emperors became weak and the weakness spread like infection. Slowly but surely the boundaries receded and then crumbled all together.

How could history be repeating itself? It started out so small. Campers were given more slack and punishment was lacking but he supposed that was what happened with only one Praetor to run things. The young legacy of Jupiter had always seemed fairly capable to him but of course, no one could match Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano in her days as sole Praetor. But the little things grew, rapidly. The camp was in shambles now. Gladiator fights were being held in the Field of Mars, evening Muster had become a nightly party in the streets, uniforms were a thing of the past, the armory had been raided, and the unicorns were gone. Someone had left the stable door wide open and the creatures galloped off to parts unknown as the eagles circled overhead like giant vultures. He had no idea what the campers were doing for medical care without them.

The fawns had actually been putting themselves to good use helping keep the people of New Rome calm, but they were running low on certain goods. It was like being under siege with everyone stuck in the city. Trade had come to a screeching halt once the disarray hit its height. He knew that Lupa was restless as well. She and her pack would help keep the Camp secure and contained but so far nothing threatened them from without.

Terminus didn't notice it at first but now he could feel a faint hum in the air. It carried anarchy with it and held the legionnaires in thrall. The gods were too affected when they came near. The last contact Terminus had with Olympus were his last orders from Lord Jupiter telling him to protect the borders of New Rome at all cost. The madness must not be allowed to spread there or all would be lost. The moment anyone stepped beyond his protection it was like they became hypnotized. Citizens of New Rome were placed under house arrest for their own protection –though many of them wanted to fight and save their camp and their children.

He knew it was only a matter of time before he faced her directly. If it was her aim to push into New Rome, she would have to go through him. Even the Twelve Olympians had fallen into her traps before, such was her influence. It was sneaky and sly and played on your own emotions, making it seem like it was your own idea. So the gods maintained a wide berth because half their essence was danger this time. He knew most of them were choosing to remain in their _Graecus_ forms and until they figured out how to stop her Terminus would hold the line.

* * *

The knocking was annoying. Cesare was very tired and had planned on sleeping the day away in his cabin but someone else had other plans. They were knocking on his door with a determination that clearly said, _"open now or else, with a little more force, I will punch right through this bronze."_ So Cesare got up and stumbled toward the noise. When he opened the door the harshness of the sunlight blinded him. It took several blinks and some squinting to see that Madison was in front of him with an exasperated look on her face.

"Hey," he said with a voice like gravel.

"You are in possession of all your limbs," she said, sounding bored.

"Uh…"

Her arms were behind her back so at first he didn't see the clipboard. She pulled it out now and started making notes on some form.

"Are you feeling power-mad, cursed or despotic lately?" she asked, not even bothering to look up at him.

"No. What? Madison, what are you doing?" he sighed, wanting nothing more than to go back to bed.

"Camper Wellness Check," she said. "You didn't show up to breakfast and according to Teresa Velmont, no one has seen you all day. Of course, she could have checked your cabin and saved me some paperwork…"

"Teresa told you?" he asked, sounding sleepy and slow.

"Yep." Madison's tone was clipped as she finally stopped scribbling and looked at him. "She's been running around looking for you and came to my Dad when she couldn't find you. But when he asked if you were in your cabin she confessed she hadn't even checked so here I am. Have to make sure you didn't get eaten by a monster, or torn apart by the Harpies, or decided to run off and start a rebellion against the gods that would kill hundreds."

"I'm sorry, Maddy," Cesare said, leaning one arm on the door and stifling a yawn.

"Just keep your girlfriend informed please," replied Madison. Cesare looked at her sharply.

"She's not my girl-"

"Cesare!" Teresa was jogging across the Green and headed straight for them.

"Whatever you say," Madison said smugly.

Cesare ignored her as Teresa came to a stop in front of them

"Have you been asleep all day?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had trouble sleeping last night. Why did you call out the marines?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I just got worried. But we so need to talk!" she said, moving forward.

"Stop right there," Madison said before Teresa could even set foot inside the door. "You're not allowed to enter a cabin other than your own," Her voice was cool as she stared the other girl down.

"Come on, Madison," Teresa said, smiling sweetly.

"No," Madison said flatly. "And I have a high resistance to charmspeak so don't even try it."

There was no going back to sleep now, he knew that, just like he knew this was Madison's revenge on Teresa for the extra paperwork. So, he put the idea of his bed away and decided to focus on damage control.

"Look, I'll come out okay? Just give me a minute," he said, trying to bat the own curls out of his face.

"Thank you, for checking on me, Madison," he said when the two girls continued to glare at each other.

"I'll wait for you on the Green, Cesare. I'm on guard duty and I shouldn't waste time arguing with younger campers," said Teresa as she turned to walk away.

To her credit, Madison didn't rise to the bait and said nothing as the daughter of Aphrodite walked away. But if she could've shot lightning bolts with a look, Teresa would have been fried.

"I have to go back to the Big House," she said calmly.

Cesare just wiped his hand down his face and she walked away before shutting the door and going to get dressed.

* * *

It had been close to two in the morning when he got back to his cabin last night and he couldn't just go to sleep, not after all that. He'd asked the fountain, nicely, to call Teles and it did. She demanded that he tell her everything and he had. They ended up talking for an hour before he went to bed. As tired as he was now, he didn't regret it. He now made his way across camp to join Teresa at the Green.

"You look awful," Teresa said, wrinkling her nose slightly as she looked him over.

"Lack of sleep makes us all less pretty," he said and flopped onto the grass next to her. He laid down spread eagle and looked over at the fire. He was still groggy but between his lazy blinks and tendrils of dark hair he thought he caught sight of a young girl tending the flames. He promised himself that one day he would speak to her when she appeared. Lady Hestia seemed so tranquil, unlike Aphrodite or Hades.

"So, guess what?" Teresa asked in a giddy tone.

"Hm?" he said, looking at her.

"Capture the Flag is tonight and you're with us."

* * *

Teaming up with the Aphrodite cabin wasn't his idea of good news, but what made it worse was that he was also teamed up with the Ares cabin. From the moment they gathered for the war meeting it seemed clear that Sam was on a mission to get even. As counselor of the Ares cabin, Sam was in charge of the battle plan and it came as no surprise when he tried to put Cesare as far from the action as possible.

"Shouldn't Cesare be with the strike team?" asked Teresa, with thinly veiled annoyance. "He's strong. It doesn't make sense to waste him." Her sisters agreed with her and Cesare could almost hear Sam's teeth grinding.

"That makes him the perfect guard as well," said Sam.

"He's not guarding anything!" she said incredulously.

"We agreed I was in charge," Sam said. "This is the plan."

So Cesare was stuck standing guard over some spot in the woods. It was a good night for it. The sky was cloudless with the moon and stars shining bright enough to see by. It did make him angry to hear all the commotion and not be anywhere near it. He felt ridiculous standing around in armor that was basically for nothing. Somewhere a group gave a collective yell and he imaged two opposing sides charging at each other. He also imagined Sam and his strike team going after the flag right now.

"Psst!" When he spun around Teresa came out of the tree line. Even armor looked good on her. It was almost as if someone made it to mold her body exactly and her mascara lined eyes looked bold and bright with the helmet framing them.

"What are you doing?" Cesare asked, rolling his eyes and smiling.

"You know what," Teresa said shrewdly. "We need to get to that flag and fast. I think the other team sent the Davis twins after ours and they're like two burglar ninja."

"Sam will be mad," he said, grinning.

"Serves him right," she said righteously.

They moved as fast as they could while avoiding teams from both sides. Teresa was supposed to be with Sam on the strike team so she knew where the flag would most likely be. The trees thinned a bit and they were finally able to run but something in front of Cesare caught the moonlight and glinted.

"Stop!" he said, throwing out his arm to hold Teresa back.

About the foot in front of them were thin metal wires. They were wrapped around the trees like a spider's web or a giant cat's cradle. Teresa reached out and put one finger on one of the wires and second later she flinched back and blood bloomed from her finger.

"We'll go around," he said, grabbing her and pulling her away.

"Stupid Hephaestus cabin!" she snapped as they ran. "They are getting out of control with their traps! If we had hit that at a run we would've been cut to pieces!"

"Yeah we might to tell Jason about that one but-"

Whatever he was about to say in defense of cabin nine died in his mouth as soon as they crashed out of the trees. In the clearing Sam and his team were being driven back by two giant mechanical bronze bulls. Behind them was the other team's flag, waving at them like a taunt. One of the bulls growled at the strike team.

"Shields!" yelled Sam. The team came together, holding their shields to form a wall just as a jet of fire erupted from the bull's mouth.

"Oh yay, they breath fire," Cesare sardonically, "and I thought it only looked bad."

"Umm," Teresa said nervously. "C-can we sneak up behind them?" They watched as the bulls began to circle the flag, mooing and torching innocent trees.

"I'm gonna go with _'no'_," he replied sarcastically.

"Well, you think of something!" she said.

"Is there water close by? I could at least put the flames out."

"No, the river is really far from here," she with despair.

"No choice then," he said, pulling out his sword –formerly, Marc Antony's sword.

"What are you going to do?" Teresa asked, looking at him like he'd gone crazy. He kind of felt like he had. He'd never tried this before.

He'd felt different since banishing Marc Antony's soul to the Underworld and the sword felt different in his hand after. It was lighter, like extension of him. He'd freed it but had he mastered it? He and Teles talked about what that might mean but he'd never tested his theory. He certainly never thought he'd be doing it under so much pressure. But he figured if he wanted this power, he'd have to be serious about it, just like Hades said.

"Just stand still, okay? And don't freak out."

He had always been terrible at hiding in shadows, so trying to manipulate them further was taking all his concentration. He remembered how they moved in his vision of Marc Antony, coiling around ankles and dragging men down to the Underworld. He tried to imagine them heavier, smoother, and more fluid. He felt a sudden tug behind his naval and the sword felt cold. The ground between Sam's team and the bulls split open and something came creeping out.

It was like ink. There was no other way to describe it. The shadows weren't the misty blackness that his father manipulated, nor were they the dark whips from Antony's fight. These shadows were dense and slithered across the ground like running water. Cesare imagined them moving in the direction of the bulls and when they got there, they reared up like octopus tentacles and wrapped around the bulls. The mechanical monsters mooed in distress and tried burning the shadows away but it didn't help. It was like they were being held by huge black boa constrictors. Cesare concentrated harder as the bulls dug in their heels. He was pulling them to the rift, leaving gouges in the land behind them.

He could feel the dizziness coming but kept concentrating. Sam's team was shouting and cowering back from the trench and seeping darkness. With a few more alarmed moos, the bulls were pulled in and the ground came back together. Cesare dropped to his knees and Teresa was right there with her arms around him. Before he passed out he saw Sam's eyes drawn in their direction.

* * *

When he woke up in the infirmary the next morning he knew he was in trouble, or at least he would be very soon. His Dads and Jason were there. His felt like there was a little dwarf with a hammer, banging on the inside of his skull.

"Drink the nectar, it'll help," Percy said gently.

Cesare looked over and saw a water bottle, filled about a quarter of the way full with golden liquid. He downed it in one swig. It felt drinking energy and the ache in his head faded out so he could sit up all the way.

"So," Percy began brightly, "drag any giant fire breathing bulls to hell lately?"

"Oh you know," Cesare said with a rusty voice, "not as many as usual."

Nico glared at Percy and held up Cesare's sword before placing it on the foot of his cot.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"It uh…it was given to me," he said weakly.

"By who?" asked Percy. With both his Dads and Jason staring at him, he felt like he was six-years-old again. Cesare looked at him almost helplessly.

"Cupid?"

Cesare had never heard Nico cuss before, well not in English anyway. He'd also never seen him quite that mad. Percy tried to calm down his husband but Nico was furious. He started ranting about Cupid butting in where he didn't belong and how he had no right to do it to their son and then the rant went into Italian. At that point Percy yelled that Nico was either going to have to calm down or Cesare would be forced to translate and repeat what Nico was saying. Only then did his father sit down but everyone could still feel the anger vibrating off of him.

"You've had this sword for weeks, since Venice, and you didn't tell us?" Percy asked.

"It wasn't a big deal," Cesare said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Sounds like it was a big deal last night," said Nico.

"What happened?" Percy asked Jason as Nico fumed in his chair.

"I didn't see it," Jason said shaking his head, "but I've talked to the other campers and I don't know, it sounds too wild."

"Grandpa knows I have it…" he said, as if that was any defense.

"Excuse me?" Nico asked, giving him a hard look.

"Everything," Percy ordered. "From the top."

Cesare told them everything from the moment Favonius showed up on the Grand Canal to what happened in the woods the night before. He omitted everything having to do with Teles. He was in enough trouble without admitting he was also breaking the rule about speaking to the Siren. When he got done all three men were staring at him with a mixture of horror and amazement. Nico suddenly put his head in hands.

"This is my fault," he mumbled.

"Nico…" said Percy.

"It is," his Dad said, looking up at them again. "I should have taught you better." He looked over at Cesare, his eyes full of guilt. "You could have killed yourself with this sword."

"Dad."

"No, my father was right. I never taught you how serious your powers are. You just always seemed to have more of an affinity for water."

"How could you have known?" asked Jason. "Cesare is…" he seemed to struggle to describe his godson.

"I'm different," Cesare said, without any negativity. "I am."

"Our son can turn shadows into liquid," Nico said it as if he were trying to come to terms with it.

"Well," Percy said, looking at him, "the good thing is that it's really cool, but now you need to learn how to use it."

* * *

"So, how screwed are you?" Teresa asked the second she saw him. He was walking back to his cabin with the sword in his hand. It was returned to him on the condition that he not use it again until his Dads felt like he'd been properly trained.

"Not as screwed as I could be," he said, flashing a smile.

"You have bags under your eyes," she with concern. "That really took a lot out of you."

"It was my first time trying it."

"So what happens now?"

"I have to be trained," he sighed. "Are you still on guard duty?"

"No, we might have slacked off a bit," she looking at cabin two. "She's been a lot quieter lately. It's a little scary."

"Maybe she just realized how pointless banging on the door is," he suggested.

"We were actually wondering if we should send someone to check on her. It's just too quiet," she said, wrinkling her brow as she stared at the bronze doors. "I'll talk to Piper tomorrow."

"Teresa, leave Teles alone." The instant he said it he knew he was an idiot. As quick as a snap, panic set in and Adrenalin started pumping through his veins. Teresa looked at him sharply, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"How do you know her name?" she demanded.


	12. Sick At Heart

The Praetors office had certainly seen better days. It had become something like a temple to her. Tiles fallen from the mosaic in the ceiling now peppered the floor, along with all the strewn papers and pens. She sat in one of the chairs with her feet thrown up on the table, now covered in nicks and scratches. She closed her eyes and basked in the sweet cacophony she could hear from outside. There were shouts, probably from the gladiator fights some of the campers had taken to staging, bangs coming from somewhere in distance and she giggled when she heard people screaming. She knew Lupa and her pack were circling the camp, snapping to get in. That meant even less than nothing to her. As soon as the old wolf sensed that the camp was truly weakening, she would snarl in contempt and abandon it to its fate.

Alone it would have taken her years to spread her influence but with the help she'd acquired, things were moving along quickly. She breathed deep and a smile touched her lips. She still wanted to take her time. She had not attacked New Rome directly yet because she wanted to them to see their camp fall first. Soon they would try something to save the demi-gods and that's when she would whip the winds of battle and watch the Romans dissolve into civil war.

"Where is he?"

She opened her eyes and Blaine was standing in the doorway. He was wearing his armor again but it was like a bad joke at this point, a mockery of everything it used to represent.

She slipped to her feet and was in front of him before his next blink. She brushed his cheek with her fingers and listened to his ragged breathing. The war was already at work inside of him. He was ripping himself apart.

"We're almost there," she said gently. She was his height now and her black hair pooled at her feet like smoke.

"You said he would come back!" he shouted and pushed past her. He was bent over with both hands on the table as if it was a struggle to hold himself up.

"Of course he will. Who knows," she said walking over and rubbing his back, "he's probably being held at the Greek camp. They won't let him return easily."

"Then we should go get him," Blaine said feverishly. "We'll march on the _Graecus_ camp and bring him back home!"

"We will," she promised, whispering in his ear. "We'll free New Rome and then attack Camp Half-Blood."

She meant it. Why settle for toppling only Camp Jupiter and New Rome? She still seethed with fury when she thought of how the war was averted last time. She would not be jilted again, but first she would crack open New Rome and feast on the destruction.

"Imagine how happy he'll be to see you, how glad," she whispered sweetly. "He'll never want to be without you again."

* * *

"So he flies around in space-"

"And time," added Cesare.

"And time," she amended, "interfering in human history?"

"Yeah but he's usually just helping and things get out of control."

"Well I don't think meeting the ghost of your ancient uncle makes you anything like this Doctor," said Teles.

"I said _'kind of''_"

"These things happen to demi-gods all the time," she said, dismissing it. "But tell me, you confessed, right? To one of my half-sisters?"

"Teresa," he said, confirming.

He could have lied. He could have told Teresa that Piper let Teles' name slip but he just couldn't. He'd told enough lies and he was just too tired to think of another one. Besides, there was always the chance that Teresa would ask Piper about it and then he'd be back at square one. So, he told Teresa the truth and begged her to keep his secret.

"What did she say?" asked Teles, her eyes wide with concern.

"She was mad but I don't think she'll tell," he said.

"I don't know what my mother will do if she finds out," she sighed.

"Nothing will happen to _you_. I'm the little mortal she'll _zap_."

"She wouldn't _zap_ you. She created you and from what you told me she's quite proud of you."

"You said she locked you up because your sisters were taken?" he asked curiously.

"Yes."

"But why didn't the monster, or whoever, take you then?"

"I wasn't there," she said.

"Where were you?" he asked, thinking nothing of it.

"Atlantis," she said. Cesare sat up sharply and looked to the little mist window.

"You were in _Atlantis_?"

"Yes."

"My grandfather's kingdom?"

"Yes."

"Under the sea?"

"I wasn't there long. It's nothing now," she said, rolling her eyes.

"It means something to me because I've always wanted to see it!" he said, put out. "What were you doing there?"

"Nothing important, I said."

"Teles?"

"I was there at the Prince's invitation," she said dismissively. "Prince Triton, is…courting me."

Cesare felt like he was choking.

"Uh, what?"

"He invited me to show me the kingdom and shower me with gifts. He wants me to be his wife."

"Oh," Cesare said slowly. "So, are you saying yes?"

"I don't know," Teles sighed. "It would be an honor to marry Lord Poseidon's heir I guess."

"Wouldn't you have to leave your sisters?" He asked.

"That wouldn't be so bad if I knew they were safe. I mean they have more fun sinking ships and killing heroes than I do."

"That's cool." He managed to say it casually even though his stomach was tight with panic. "Would he be okay with you traveling the world like you want to? Like would he go to Venice with you?"

"I'm not sure. If not I'll just go without him. He would have to understand that I will not be confined…again," she said that last part with a surprising amount of bitterness.

"My Dad has never had a good relationship with Triton. He said the guy was kind of a douche canoe."

"I'm not sure what a 'douche canoe' is but he does possess a god's arrogance. That's to be expected."

"So has your mom visited you?" Cesare desperately needed to change the subject before he started trying to talk her out of marriage to his uncle in earnest. It wasn't his business.

"She came by this morning to drop off more books and some nectar and ambrosia. She wants me to break Prince Triton's heart first. She thinks that making him pine for me for a few hundred years would be romantic."

"So she _is_ feeding you?" he asked, avoiding the other subject. "The campers thought you were starving, well as much as an immortal can starve…"

"Yes but she refuses to bring me more creampuffs. She says I should watch my figure now that I'm not as active."

Cesare heard her heave a great sigh. Some of her hair fell across her face where he could see. It was a lovely soft green color and he found himself squinting trying to get a better look into the misty little window.

"So, you're starting tomorrow?" She tossed her head and all he could see were her eyes again.

"Yeah but only after I get checked out again at the infirmary."

"In that case you should try to sleep. I want to hear all about your progress."

"Sure, I can't wait to tell you how both my Dads spanked me at sword training," he laughed cynically.

"Things would be better if I could see it for myself." He heard the sadness in her words. It creeped in every time she was reminded of her confinement.

"Oh no," he said cheerfully, trying to lift her spirits. "The only thing worse would be the queen of the sirens watching me faint from using a sword."

She giggled and the sound made the cabin seem brighter.

"For real," he said, "it's bad enough that I know other people will be watching. Let me at least keep my dignity with you."

"Very well, young hero, but I still expect a full report," she said happily.

* * *

His Dads were already waiting in the arena when he got there. Percy was sitting on the bench closest to the fighting area and Nico was standing in front of him with his Stygian iron sword thrust into the ground next to him. They were discussing something but broke off when Percy noticed Cesare walking toward them.

"Did you go by the Apollo cabin?" asked Percy.

"Yeah, they gave me a sip of nectar and said I was fine. It was normal exhaustion from overuse of powers."

"Good," said Nico, "We need to see what we're dealing with. Go to the middle of the arena please."

Nico seemed like he was in a grouchy mood so Cesare wordlessly did as he was told.

"Now what?" he shouted back when he reached the middle.

"Let's see these shadows," Nico said.

Cesare hesitated for a moment; curious campers were starting to appear. Rumors of his power and his parents were everywhere so he knew they wouldn't keep away but he wished they would. The looks and gossip didn't bother him when he was just "the new kid" but now they looked at him like he was going to eat them.

Cesare took a deep breath and plunged his sword into the ground. He felt the tug behind his belly button and then a crack split the earth with his blade as the point of origin. It raced across the packed dirt floor of the arena like a zipper, the ground ripping open behind it.

"Careful," Nico said casually from where he stood in front of Percy. "Or we'll be sucked in."

Cesare felt a moment of freezing panic as he realized the fissure was creeping toward them. He concentrated, gripped the sword tighter and it stopped four feet from his Dads. The shadows trickled out, rippling across the ground in tiny rivulets before rising up like a hundred whips ready to snap. Percy let out a low whistle as he looked at them. Cesare's grip tightened again as he held the shadows in place, willing them not to strike. Nico and Percy glanced at each other before Nico started walking out to his son. Cesare tried not to let his shock make him stumble and let go of the shadows. It was like holding back a wave when it would be so much easier to let it crash.

Nico was calm as he walked around the shadows like they were nothing more than trees in his path. By the time his Dad got to him Cesare was gritting his teeth. Nico looked at him, taking in his hands –clutching the sword so tightly that his knuckles were white, his body shaking, and his brow beaded with sweat. Nico knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. There was a glint of light from the skull ring on his father's hand.

"Send them back now," he said gently.

Cesare gave the silent command and the blackness slithered back into the fissure before the rip knitted itself back together. He felt tension ease out of him and Nico pulled the sword away as his hands relaxed. He nearly slumped over on his Dad but held himself up because the crowd around the arena was bigger now. Teresa was there with her sisters hiding behind her like they had tried to duck out of sight. Even Jason had come. His godfather was looking at him with a worried expression. The rest of the campers looked wary if not out-right terrified.

"Well," said Nico. "Your Dad was right. It _is_ pretty cool looking."

* * *

The Dining Pavilion was full of anxiety. Cesare could feel it leaking out of everyone. It was probably because they were back to glancing at him and whispering. Sam and the rest of the Ares table were blatantly glaring at him. He ignored them and sought out Teresa who gave him a tiny smile. At least she wasn't as scared as everyone else. His Dad's sat at the Hades table with him. Percy was on his second steak, the both of them looked like they didn't even notice all the attention.

"Cesare, are you listening?" Nico asked, pulling him back to their conversation.

"Sorry," he mumbled and stuffed some strawberries into his mouth.

"I was saying your fissures are too big. Holding opening gaps that big is why you're wearing out so fast. We'll work on making them smaller," said Nico.

"And don't worry about everyone else," Percy said, nudging him with an elbow. "It wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if you weren't being pointed and stared at."

"Yeah, just ignore it, _piccolo eroe_," agreed Nico. "They'll get over it soon enough."

"I thought they _had_ gotten over me," Cesare grumbled.

"That was until you went all 'death god of the sea' on them," said Percy with a smirk.

After dinner Cesare said goodnight to his parents. They were back in the Big House and Percy was complaining about the horrors of living in the same house as Mr. D. As he was about to head for the campfire sing-a-long, Cesare caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. It was Lady Hestia tending the hearth in the center of the Green. No one else seemed to notice her and she didn't look bothered by that at all. She sat with her legs folded under her and was wrapped in a brown shawl. She had a faint smile on her face as she used her poker to arrange logs in the brazier.

Cesare walked over carefully. It didn't feel right to ignore her now that he'd seen her. As he got closer he realized how child-like and tiny she was. He knew the gods could appear in any form they wanted but it was still disorienting to see a young girl with such intense eyes.

"Lady Hestia?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Hello," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hi, my name is Cesare Jackson, you've met my Dads," he offered, awkwardly.

"Yes, your father Nico di Angelo came to greet me this morning. He's always been such a sweet child. I'm pleased to see his troubles are over and he's found happiness. Would you like to sit?"

Cesare sat down to her right and tried not to stare. Up close her eyes were like warm embers and he felt like he could stare into them and feel safe forever. She was beautiful and part of it was her modesty. He could see the tumble of her dark hair was hidden by her shawl and her smiles were sweet and gentle.

"Do you feel better now that you're here at camp?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, in confusion.

"I sense that you were lost before," said Hestia.

"Oh, well, yeah I guess. Even with all the whispering I feel better here than at Camp Jupiter."

"You're Greek and this is your home. I know that many of the Greek demi-gods are seeking shelter in New Rome. A place where they can live in safety and have children without constant danger and fear. I understand this desire and while I wish them well, I know they will never be as easy there," she said sadly.

"Trust me, I know that first hand," he agreed.

"I have often thought it unfair, and wished my family's children to be equally cared for. But it is not my place to get involved. I simply tend the fires," she said, giving him another gentle smile.

"Cesare!" He turned to look and saw Andrew waving at him. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," he called back. He turned again to say goodbye, but in a true god-like fashion, Lady Hestia was already gone.

* * *

He tried to slip back to his cabin quickly after the sing-a-long. It was almost worse than being in the dining Pavilion. He sat alone under the Poseidon banner and everyone was still staring and whispering. His aura started to manifest and he was afraid he'd start killing off grass and cracking the ground if it went on much longer. Even the fire felt the tension, burning with a gloomy dull purple color. It was just a little after sunset and everyone milled around talking or slowly finding their way to their beds but he made a bee line for cabin three.

"Running off to talk your new friend?" startled by the unexpected voice, he almost tripped and fell.

"Teresa," he sighed and turned around to face her. She had her hands on her hips and frown on her pretty face.

"Cesare, she's a siren. She's the _queen_ of the sirens! She could be tricking you!"

"Can you keep your voice down please?" he hissed. "I already told you, Apollo charmed the cabin so the sound of her singing can't escape. She's not evil. She's just lonely and sad."

"I still don't like it," she said. "My mother gave strict instructions."

"To keep her safe that's why. Aphrodite doesn't want her searching for her sisters. Whatever took the rest of the sirens is still out there."

That made her deflate just a little. "Promise me you won't open those doors."

"I promise," he said without hesitating. That seemed to put her at ease.

"So, you put on a great show today," she said, with a hint of her usual smile. "Everyone's petrified."

"I hadn't noticed," said Cesare, rolling his eyes.

"If it makes you feel better, I hear the Athena cabin is mostly intrigued."

"That makes sense," he replied with a shrug.

"Maybe if you tried socializing a little more people could get to know you and not just the scary dark tentacles of death."

"You and my Dad, Percy, would get along," he mumbled.

"Seriously, Cesare," she said looking concerned. "The only way to stop being the camp pariah is to _stop being the camp pariah_. We're talking to people tomorrow." Cesare couldn't help but laugh at the determined light in her eyes.

"Hey," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, "if you can find people who want to talk to me I got no problem with it."

"You're the only one who thinks no one wants to talk to you," she smirked.

"I think you over-estimate my allure," he chuckled.

"Nonsense, as a daughter of Aphrodite and the world's best Wingwoman my allure estimates are always spot on," she replied, arrogantly.

"If you say so," he said. They both laughed and for a second that's all there was, just him and Teresa laughing together. But Teresa's laughter died away and she suddenly looked very somber.

"Cesare," she began hesitantly, "what is she like?" She thumbed in the direction of cabin two and he glanced at the bronze doors.

He faltered for a moment. How could he sum Teles up? How could he explain her without giving away things he wanted kept just between them? It felt too intimate to share her desire to travel, her worry and anger for her sisters, or how she laughed.

"She's nice, and funny, and miserable in there," he said.

"Ah." She searched his face and whatever she saw there made her take a step back. "I think I should go to bed. I feel a headache coming on."

"Oh, okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, as she flashed a quick smile and ran off.

Other campers were on the Green now, heading for their cabins. Stars winked in the sky as the Apollo cabin dimmed and the Artemis cabin began to glow bright silver under the moon. Cesare stood there for a while and watched Teresa enter her cabin before shaking his head and leaving the Green.

* * *

He could hear a voice calling his name, saying it like some dark prayer. It was familiar and yet unlike anything he'd ever heard. Some part of him knew he was dreaming but that was small consolation. It brushed his ear like a whisper and made his mind flinch back.

_"Cesare, Cesare, Cesare…"_

His dreams were hazy, like something was trying to reach him, but the sound of that voice slithered up his spine and made him afraid to look. He pushed at his subconscious, trying to reject whatever was reaching out to him. It grabbed at him and wrenched himself away, waking up and tumbling off the bed. He was back up in an instant, panting and covered in a sheen of sweat.

* * *

He never got back to sleep after that nightmare. It still felt like every hair on his body was standing on end. The fountain wasn't placing any magical calls at the moment so he showered, brushed his teeth, and cleaned up the cabin a little. Now he was sitting on the floor leaning against the foot of his bed watching _Aladdin_. He'd grown up watching this movie, and could practically recite it by heart but when it got to the scene right before A Whole New World he suddenly felt annoyed. Aladdin was offering Jasmine a ride on his magic carpet, a chance to get out of her tower and see the world. It sent him straight back to his conversation with Teresa.

He grabbed the remote and shut the movie off. For once, he was grateful that the fountain wasn't working on its own. His conversation with Telese the night before had been a struggle for him – acting normal when he was a mass of confusion inside. He couldn't deny that he had imagined releasing Teles from cabin two and maybe that was what had really aggravated him about Teresa demanding that he promise not to.

He walked over to a window pushed one of the green curtains aside and saw that the sun was rising, the light already beginning to glare off of Apollo's cabin. Only a few satyrs were walking around right now but the campers would wake soon. He stepped outside and went to go sit by the hearth. It was crackling merrily and seemed to burn brighter when he sat down. He tried to remember what Lady Hestia said about being home. It occurred to him that Teresa was right. He hadn't made any true effort to make Camp Half-Blood his home. He liked it better than Camp Jupiter but he hadn't tried to make any new friends replace the ones he'd lost. He lived in cabin three alone, ate at the Hades table alone, and never talked to anyone but Teresa and whoever she pulled near him.

He waited until he saw the first few kids emerge from their cabins before heading over to cabin ten. It was gaudy pink thing like something straight out of a plastic box. He would not be surprised if there was actually an assembly line inside making Barbie dolls. He knocked on the door and Clare answered. She was a cute girl with thick, straight orangey-red hair. She was wearing sweats and a white tank top like she's just gotten out of bed and her skin looked so fresh and perfect that he wasn't sure if it was make-up or not. Somehow she managed to blush as she frowned at him.

"Yes?" she asked in a clipped tone.

"Hi, is Teresa up?"

"She's sick," said Clare. "You probably won't see her today."

"Oh…" he was taken aback by the ice in her stare but maybe she was still angry about him walking away with Kate that day.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Tell her I hope she feels better," he said, meekly.

"I'm sure," she answered and rolled her eyes. Just as she shut the door he heard her mumble _"garçon stupide"_.

Puzzled, he headed for the Big House and saw Mr. D sitting on the porch with a man in a wheel chair. He knew who it was even though he'd never met him in person. As he approached he saw that there was a board game set up on a table between the god and the centaur. Chiron looked up as Cesare climbed the steps but Mr. D was too busy brooding over his next move.

"Hi, you must be Chiron," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Cesare Jackson." The old centaur grinned and shook his hand warmly.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson the younger, I've wanted to meet you for some time. I've heard a lot about you from your parents of course."

"Freeloaders," grumbled Mr. D without taking his eyes from his game. Chiron ignored him and continued to smile at Cesare.

"They've also told me about your newly developed powers. Of course, your father Nico is more qualified to teach you to control them, but if you ever need help with sword play…"

"Sure! I'd love a lesson from you," said Cesare, happily.

"You're holding up the game, Chaz," Mr. D said, glowering.

"S-sorry sir," he said, and bolted into the house.

Seymour growled at him as he dashed up the stairs. He didn't know which room his parents were in so he froze on the top landing. He considered calling out until he heard a soft giggle float out of the room at the end of the hall. It sounded like Nico so he headed for it. As he got closer he could hear more clearly. Those were definitely his Dad's voices. They were speaking softly to each other and he nearly groaned because he could practically feel the intimacy through the door. As if he wasn't having enough awkward moments lately. He considered turning around and leaving but the selfish part of his psyche won out.

"Hey," he called out. There was a moment of silence that was so uncomfortable it made him grimace.

"Cesare?" asked Percy.

"Yep," he said, with embarrassment. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go to breakfast together but I can-"

"Yeah, we'll be down in a second," said Nico. He heard sheets rustle and a heavy sigh from Percy so he went downstairs to wait.

It didn't take them long. He heard them coming down the stairs just as he was tossing Seymour a snausage. Percy was wearing a pair of trashed skinny jeans and a green hoodie that made his eyes pop –most likely worn to please his husband who loved his eyes- and Nico wore black jeans and a black cowl-neck sweater. The rich olive color of Nico's skin seemed lighter today and he had more bags under his eyes than usual.

"Little trip to the Underworld to see my father," Nico said, when he saw Cesare staring.

"Why?" asked Cesare.

"First, to have a little chat with him about letting you keep that sword and not telling me. Second, to see what else he could tell me about it."

Nico opened the door and ushered him out. It looked like the entire camp –with the exception of the Hypnos cabin—was awake. Satyrs were helping Argos haul off the new shipment of strawberries and even some of Demeter's children were pitching in. Cesare could hear the Ares cabin blasting heavy metal music in the distance.

They waved to Chiron and Mr. D –who just scoffed at them—and headed for the Dining Pavilion.

"What did Hades say about the sword?" he asked Nico.

"Whatever Antony could do with the sword was completely unique. The way his power manifested was unlike any other child of Hades."

"Yeah his were more…shadowy," Cesare said, struggling to describe it.

"I wanted to talk to Antony but he's being judged right now and the deliberations are taking a long time because they can't decide if his actions were good for Greek demi-gods or bad. But your power is a variation of his, a mix of your Underworld and water abilities. So, there really wasn't much information."

Campers were flooding into the Dining Pavilion and the line for the breakfast buffet was already ridiculous. Cesare was sandwiched between his Dads in line but he still tried to look around and see if Teresa had made it out of bed after all.

"What is it?" asked Percy, who was standing behind him.

"Teresa is sick but I thought maybe I'd see her."

"Teresa? The daughter of Aphrodite right?" asked Percy. Cesare nodded and turned back around.

The line moved pretty fast for being so congested. Nico got a fruit salad while Cesare and Percy loaded their plates with French toast, bacon, and hashbrowns. Once everyone made their offerings and sat down, Jason stood to welcome Chiron back to camp. Everyone clapped but no one was louder than Jason who looked very relieved to hand the reins back. Piper sat next to him at the head table and giggled at him quietly.

Cesare looked over at cabin ten's table and his spirits dropped when he saw that Teresa really wasn't there. It was silly but not having Teresa there to grin or wink at him from across the tables made him feel like the day was incomplete. It was like being elementary school and seeing that your friend was out sick for the day.

Suddenly he felt bored so he chewed his breakfast and listened to his parents talk about their job interviews and which apartment had seemed best. When he was done he got up and left, throwing a promise over his shoulder to be show up for sword practice. He didn't feel like socializing anymore without Teresa. He kicked rocks as he walked and stared at the ground, his curls falling into his eyes and obscuring his view.

"Don't slouch, dear."

The scent of expensive perfume invaded his nose and when he looked up, Lady Aphrodite was walking next to him. He didn't jump this time but his stomach tightened in alarm. She was wearing a long white maxi dress with a navy print and he was now convinced that she was using her godly powers to keep from spilling out of these plunging necklines.

"Aren't you happy to see me, Cesare?" she asked, smiling.

"I'm surprised to see you, Lady Aphrodite. What uh, what brings you to camp?" He was doing his best not to run away from her, screaming as he went. His palms were beginning to sweat and he wondered if she could hear his heartbeat. If she knew about him talking to Teles he was beyond screwed.

"I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop by."

"Oh, are you visiting your kids? Teresa is sick and she'd probably like to see you," he said, tossing out a subject to distract her.

"Teresa is ill?" she asked, concern giving her a pretty pout. "Unfortunately, I don't have much time. But she must be so lonely in the cabin all by herself. Has anyone taken her some medicine?"

"I'm not really sure," he said.

"Then can you please give her this from me?"

A large pink box appeared in Aphrodite's hands. It was tied with a giant pink bow and had a "get better soon. Xoxo, Mom" card attached.

"Sure, I guess," he said accepting the box.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Now, I have to dash but please run and give her that for me."

The goddess disappeared in a puff of sweet perfume and Cesare just shook his head and made his way to cabin ten.

* * *

Frank nudged a curtain aside to peek out of the window. Fauns sat on corners and sidewalks like broken toys. _Lares_ were drifting here and there, looking more like specters from a Dickens novel than hero-ancestors. All the color had been leeched out of New Rome, all the vibrant life. The open air market was deserted as food supplies had grown dangerously low. Children and Legacies of Ceres were doing what they could grow food but they couldn't manage much without the goddess's assistance.

The gods were silent and some speculated that what was happening in Camp Jupiter was tearing at their duel personalities again. They heard nothing from Camp Half-Blood so they didn't know if the gods' _Graecus_ aspects were still functioning, but it was their only hope.

"Frank?" He moved away from the window and looked at his wife. Hazel was modestly dressed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He didn't think she needed anything else with her gold eyes and curly cinnamon brown hair.

"It's fine," he said. "Other than fauns and _lares_ there's no one on the street."

She nodded and they turned back to the group assembled in their living room. They had called together their neighbors and friends from their days as legionnaires because none of them could sit and do nothing for much longer. He and Hazel had feared the residents of New Rome would do something extreme and make the situation worse if they didn't try to come up with a better solution.

"We need to get a message to Camp Half-Blood," Hazel said to the room.

"Will they help us?" Holly asked. She was a former legionnaire who had just gotten married. Her husband, a legacy of Venus, sat next to her on their couch.

"Of course they will," Frank answered.

"And there's no way for you to contact your brother?" asked William. His daughter Stacy was a _Praetor_ who had gone missing right before all this started.

"We can't get to the eagles and something is disrupting my Fleecy messages," said Hazel. "But if we find another way to contact them…"

"It's all we would need to turn this around," finished Frank.

"If the Legion was turned, I doubt more teenagers will make a difference," said William.

"Percy and Nico are not teenagers," said Hazel. "And they've been on more quests than anyone else in this room and come through all of them. They're the most powerful demi-gods alive."

"Good thing they left right before all this happened," sneered William. Hazel's golden eyes hardened and Frank glared at the man.

"We are not going to start throwing around doubt, not now. How many times do we need to relearn the same lesson?" Frank said, speaking to everyone in the room. "Roman or Greek, we are all children of the gods, and when there is a threat we have to stick together. Percy Jackson was elected Praetor by some of us in this room, and Nico was Pluto's Ambassador here for years. And they can bring Jason Grace with them."

The room responded to that and focus shifted from William. Frank felt sorry for him. Sophie was upstairs safe and asleep in her bed but if she had gone missing like Stacy then he would be more than a little unreasonable right now.

"So what do we do?" asked Holly.

"We need to get out," Hazel said, firmly.

* * *

"Teresa?" Cesare called as he knocked on the door of Aphrodite's cabin.

Everyone was still at breakfast and he wanted to get this over with before Teresa's siblings came back.

"Teresa, if you can hear me I have something from your mom."

He heard movement and the door opened just enough for Teresa to look out. She was wearing light blue silk PJs and holding a piece of tissue over her mouth. Her eyes were pink and a little puffy.

"Hey," he said softly. "Does your head still hurt?"

The look she gave him was unreadable and then she looked down at the pink box in his hands.

"So your mom popped in on me again. I told her you were sick and she couldn't stay long but she wanted you to have this," he said offering it to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she reached out to take it.

Now that the tissue was removed from her face he noticed that she had no make-up on. There were bags under eyes and she looked a bit pale but she also looked real.

"How bad is it?" he asked. "I can go over to the Apollo cabin and get something for you."

"No, it's okay. I just need to lie down."

"Just let me know if you need anything. I don't feel like trying to meet people without you so I'm going to sword practice and that's it," he said, shrugging.

"Why? You don't need me to meet people," she said in a low tone.

"This is going to make me sound like a loser but children of the Underworld are usually loners. My Dad always told me that as long I have at least one good friend then I'm doing really well and I have you so…"

He shrugged and let it drop and he tried to blush but probably failed. Teresa looked at him for a second and then smiled weakly.

"I'll probably be better tomorrow so let's see if we can change that theory."

He said good-bye as she kicked the door closed, all the while holding the big pink box like a bomb.


End file.
